A lot of the human ethnicities in PFRPG are pretty obviously borrowed from the real world. Most of them are pretty easy to link with their RL analogues - but what about Chelaxians? Combo of Azlanti and Ulfen, but that doesn't help all that much. And what about Taldans? They have middle-eastern analogue Keleshite ancestors - where do they fit in?
Given the somewhat alien nature of the Azlanti, I'm not sure there's a direct real-world correlation. The Ulfen are easily identified with the people of the Scandinavian peninsula--Norwegians, Swedes, Danes--but the Azlanti are distinct, and thus Chelaxians are distinctive, combining dark hair and eyes with pale skin and sharp features.
As for Taldans, I tend to think of Spain. The historical situation is similar to the Moorish invasion.
Taldan could be Spanish yeah, but cheliax is kinda its own thing, the Azlanti had purple eyes heh, not sure how many real world groups you have with those.
And what about Taldans? They have middle-eastern analogue Keleshite ancestors - where do they fit in?
Renaissance Spain had a huge amount of middle-eastern influence because the souther half of the continent was conqured by one of the Muslime Caliphates.
Furthermore, the Falcata is Taldor's iconic weapon of choice. In real world history, the Falcata dates from a pre-roman Iberian Peninsula, which is modern day Spain and Portugal.
I view Cheliax as more like fantasy fascists, not particularly associated with a modern ethnicity, but definably taking a real world ideology, and applying it to fantasy.
Huh, I always thought of Taldans as Anglo-Saxons.
Cheliax seems very influenced by Italy, especially in the names, the old imperial glory, and the noble families jockeying for power.
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Politically, Taldor seems it has many parallels with the medieval Byzantine Empire, such as:
- the decadence of the nobility;
- the air of superiority because of ancient imperial rule over its "lost" provinces (Rome dominated the Mediterranean basin as Taldor once dominated the Inner Sea);
- and as the bulwark of the northern continent (Avistan/Europe) versus foreign intruders from the east (Byzantium vs. Persian & Arab & Turkic empires; Taldor vs. Qadira & Kelesh Empire).
Racially, the people in the Byzantine heartland (Greece & Anatolia) had European and Middle Eastern ancestors, just as the Taldan people draw from Avistan and Kelesh peoples.
(Spain shares some of these characteristics, but Spain's empire in the Mediterranean didn't cover anything like the area or time that that Roman/Byzantine Empire.)
My global cultural knowledge apparently has some gaps. Thanks for filling them in. :)