Golarion: Where's the Mexicans?


Lost Omens Campaign Setting General Discussion

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I've gone through playing the vast majority of the Golarion human ethnicities - a Vudran witch, Tian-Shu, Tian-Min... And since I live in Texas and half my family is Hispanic, I started to wonder what the analogue is in Golarion.

Of course pure-play Mexican would be over on Arcadia to use the RL analogy, but there's no Hispanic-flavored invaders there to make that happen with the Arcadians in the first place.

And of course on Golarion things aren't always one to one - like Cheliax is part Italy, part England in turn - but in general they pretty heavily link to RL ethnicities (Keleshites, Tien, Vudrans, etc.) I'm not really sure who I would go to at all for a Spanish type feel. I don't see anyone with Spanish type names or flavor. Ideas?

Scarab Sages

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I would have actually said that Cheliax fits the '¬Spain' of Golarion best in this instance. It's an empire, it has the same-ish location on the inner sea as Spain does to the Mediterranean, it has the same dark reputation that Spain during it's imperial days garnered (La Leyenda Negra) and more to the point, it has a colony in Arcadia (Anchor's End).


The Azlanti culture is meant to have a Mesoamerican/South American vibe, I think.


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Actually i would think that's more Taldor - they are an empire in decline who have had multiple "Reconquistas" and crusades to attempt to return to their glory days. Plus all the Lion imagery, and Stavian III is a Habsburg if I had ever seen one.

However, thats about the closest you'll get to "hispanic" themes in pathfinder for now, until Arcadia opens up.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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There's not really a Mexican/Spanish "ethnicity" in the Inner Sea Region. There are some touchstones among the Taldans, Varisians, and Chelaxians with these ethnicities, but there's not an obvious analogue among the ethnicities of the Inner Sea Region.


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James Jacobs wrote:
There's not really a Mexican/Spanish "ethnicity" in the Inner Sea Region. There are some touchstones among the Taldans, Varisians, and Chelaxians with these ethnicities, but there's not an obvious analogue among the ethnicities of the Inner Sea Region.

Fair enough. I might then suggest something with a slightly closer analogue get added at some point, in the interests of "we like people to be able to play something that speaks to them," what with a continent plus worth of that sort of folk. Good sales sense in addition to diversity sense.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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Ernest Mueller wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
There's not really a Mexican/Spanish "ethnicity" in the Inner Sea Region. There are some touchstones among the Taldans, Varisians, and Chelaxians with these ethnicities, but there's not an obvious analogue among the ethnicities of the Inner Sea Region.
Fair enough. I might then suggest something with a slightly closer analogue get added at some point, in the interests of "we like people to be able to play something that speaks to them," what with a continent plus worth of that sort of folk. Good sales sense in addition to diversity sense.

That's kind of the plan.

Silver Crusade RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

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James Jacobs wrote:
Ernest Mueller wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
There's not really a Mexican/Spanish "ethnicity" in the Inner Sea Region. There are some touchstones among the Taldans, Varisians, and Chelaxians with these ethnicities, but there's not an obvious analogue among the ethnicities of the Inner Sea Region.
Fair enough. I might then suggest something with a slightly closer analogue get added at some point, in the interests of "we like people to be able to play something that speaks to them," what with a continent plus worth of that sort of folk. Good sales sense in addition to diversity sense.
That's kind of the plan.

Apologies if there's already some info out there on this, and I just haven't looked hard enough, but have there been any concrete decisions or announcements about resources for Arcadia? I'd love to see an AP or a setting book (ooh, or maybe a future season of PFS?) for that location.

As far as it relates to the topic more directly, I believe Shardra the iconic Shaman is supposed to be a more Mesoamerican-like ethnicity of dwarf. It's not human, of course, but it's the most direct analogue I can think of.

Verdant Wheel

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As a brazilian, i would like to remember that there are non-hispanic latinoamericans.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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mechaPoet wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
Ernest Mueller wrote:
James Jacobs wrote:
There's not really a Mexican/Spanish "ethnicity" in the Inner Sea Region. There are some touchstones among the Taldans, Varisians, and Chelaxians with these ethnicities, but there's not an obvious analogue among the ethnicities of the Inner Sea Region.
Fair enough. I might then suggest something with a slightly closer analogue get added at some point, in the interests of "we like people to be able to play something that speaks to them," what with a continent plus worth of that sort of folk. Good sales sense in addition to diversity sense.
That's kind of the plan.

Apologies if there's already some info out there on this, and I just haven't looked hard enough, but have there been any concrete decisions or announcements about resources for Arcadia? I'd love to see an AP or a setting book (ooh, or maybe a future season of PFS?) for that location.

As far as it relates to the topic more directly, I believe Shardra the iconic Shaman is supposed to be a more Mesoamerican-like ethnicity of dwarf. It's not human, of course, but it's the most direct analogue I can think of.

We've made several decisions for Arcadia, but very few of them are public yet. Now, or next year, is not yet the time to delve into that continent.


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Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Even though u absolutely don´t understand the "i have to see myself and my nation represented on Golarion" (not only from a latinoamerican view, much more on other behalfs), i´m totally looking forward to Arcadia!

I do hope it won´t all be somehow conquered and colonized territory, but rather offers some new and independant cultures! Having indio and other native american influences there would surely be a win-win situation for the game and Golarion!
But, having more alien fantasy things mixed in might also be a good choice. Perhaps even empires and nations that are not human? *gasp*


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Draco Bahamut wrote:
As a brazilian, i would like to remember that there are non-hispanic latinoamericans.

Yes, let's not forget the French- and Creole-speakers. ;)

Paizo Employee Developer

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Hayato Ken wrote:
....I do hope it won´t all be somehow conquered and colonized territory....

Don't worry. I'll fight that approach as much as I possibly can. :)

Dark Archive

Adam Daigle wrote:
Hayato Ken wrote:
....I do hope it won´t all be somehow conquered and colonized territory....
Don't worry. I'll fight that approach as much as I possibly can. :)

The Indians fought that approach too. How did that work out? If you can't beat them, join them Daigle.

Scarab Sages

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Hayato Ken wrote:
But, having more alien fantasy things mixed in might also be a good choice. Perhaps even empires and nations that are not human? *gasp*

Any excuse to crack out my Warhammer Lizardmen army is a win for me.

Verdant Wheel

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Hayato Ken wrote:
Even though u absolutely don´t understand the "i have to see myself and my nation represented on Golarion" (not only from a latinoamerican view, much more on other behalfs), i´m totally looking forward to Arcadia!

I didn't understand too, until i bought the Red Steel campaing setting. I became amazed when i perceived that THAT was a fantasy setting that remind me of the land around me. We all grew with the mythology of the land we live, i miss that in Golarion. I am not there, i can recognize a lot from a world mythology, but very few of the fantasy in the stories my famity told me.

The Portuguese were great adventurers, they gone everywhere in the world too. Brazil is a country colonized by adventurers, is in our blood. The Amazon, the Sertão, the Pampas, the huge caves of Chapada Diamantina, the Saci, the Cuca, the "mule-without head", so many places and monsters. But none of it is in Golarion.

We love every culture, but i miss a place that has the way we think, the way we see the world to better understand the rest of the world and our place in it. Before Red Steel i believed we were too boring to have adventures, but when i saw the Barony of Vila Verde, i saw me in there. What was strange to a Vilaverdan, would be strange to me. I guess only someone who lives in a culture who almost never appears in RPGs would know how it feels to be left out.


Sargava, maybe? It's on the wrong side of the Arcadian Ocean, but Sargava has jungles, pyramids, and was colonized by the "Spanish". The art in the ISWG is also very evocative of pre-columbian Mayan and Aztec civilization.


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Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Like i said, i would welcome "your" culture into the game, although i think there also should be original indio and other native american myths.
As a cold comfort, one could see Cheliax as portuguese and the mwangi expanse or the shackles in that way, since it has references to the colonization theme, although it´s a bit more oriented in an african way probably.

You see, i´m from germany, and i´m totaly tired of nazi settings, tolienesque/celtic medieval settings and similar things. I´m also really sick of the Andor = U.S.A vibe. Especially true for PFS. Not because i don´t like U.S.A. people, but more because i feel it brings a very different and sometimes disturbing vibe to the game and also breaks my personal immersion, since it´s changing the games atmosphere a lot.

That´s why i hope Golarion will, at least in parts, take a step more into the fantastic and bring more cultures and empires that are decidedly not-human, and at least equal or more advanced than the human empires.
For a company like Paizo, that does a lot for inclusion on many levels, such an approach could also be very fitting in many ways, since it opens whole new opportunities. Like an empire where humans are only slaves or maybe the tolerated, but excluded minority. There is an empire in Tian Xia with Kraken despots, i´m hoping for that to make more experiences a long time^^

Verdant Wheel

Yeah. I don't want to have adventure path in a portuguese-like land, just to have a homeland that spawns brazilian-like adventurers to go elsewhere.

Taldor have more in common of how we see our portuguese patricians than Cheliax. Sargava helps a little, but still miss the american native roots.


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I'd also love to see Arcadia, and any other continents that might be in the pipeline. Not really concerned about finding people that look like me culturally or ethnically - I'm so different from 99.9% of the people where I live that conversations stop every day so people can stare and speculate about me instead, so value a wide range of ethnicities and cultures more than being represented, per se. Would love to see more of the variety of the human species represented in-game.


Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber

As a starting point, we would need at least one Arcadian ethnicity, which we don't have yet. Then you can mingle them with various Avistani and Garundi ethnicities to make analogues of most real world cultures of the Americas.


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One of my Legacy of Fire PCs is from Nex.

We've decided that the demonym is "Nexican".

And it's south of Alkenstar, so there's that.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

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Adam Daigle wrote:
Hayato Ken wrote:
....I do hope it won´t all be somehow conquered and colonized territory....
Don't worry. I'll fight that approach as much as I possibly can. :)

And since I'm on the same page entirely as Adam... he won't have to fight that approach at all.

Webstore Gninja Minion

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James Jacobs wrote:
Adam Daigle wrote:
Hayato Ken wrote:
....I do hope it won´t all be somehow conquered and colonized territory....
Don't worry. I'll fight that approach as much as I possibly can. :)
And since I'm on the same page entirely as Adam... he won't have to fight that approach at all.

Hooray. :D


Well, can I be the dissenting voice here?

I'm currently reading Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick, and the colonial setting is not without fascinating dynamics.

Surely genocidal zealots as Avistani colonists in Arcadia fit with the general themes of Pathfinder foils.

I agree it is good to avoid defining all of Arcadia in those terms, but honestly I'd like a chance to blaze a path against them as much as any Chelaxian slaver. They make great unvarnished villains; and that's my own neighborhood's history I'm talking about.

I certainly trust Mr. Jacobs not to discard the interesting stuff, but before everyone jumps to conclusions, I will speak to its defense: the clash of Native American and European cultures is downright fascinating, and a great opportunity for stories set upon an "untamed" western continent. (Depending on how you define "tamed" of course.)

America was, after all, settled by European adventurers, however despicably some of them might have behaved. (Depending on how you define "settled" of course).

It's a tricky topic, to be sure. Offensive on one side and preachy on the other. But Paizo has an excellent track record with navigating such waters in the name of a good story.

Paizo Employee Developer

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James Jacobs wrote:
Adam Daigle wrote:
Hayato Ken wrote:
....I do hope it won´t all be somehow conquered and colonized territory....
Don't worry. I'll fight that approach as much as I possibly can. :)
And since I'm on the same page entirely as Adam... he won't have to fight that approach at all.

That's what the Aztecs thought. Colonists often have other plans...


I'm hoping that the human population of Arcadia won't be entirely ecovative of the Central and Southern native cultures (Aztec, Maya, Inca, Olmec, Toltec, etc.)

While I won't say those influences have been done to death, and I trust Paizo to do a good job, those civilizations have been used more often in fantasy games and literature than the Anasazi or Mississipian Mound Builders, or even tribes familiar to our own 17th-19th Century North American settlers.

Golarion has never been intended as a collection of direct Earth culture analogues, so it's understood that Azlanti art and architecture, and that of any cultural descendants in Arcadia, are not Aztec or Mayan. But the inspiration is obvious, and I hope to see examples of Arcandian cultures as obviously influenced by North American indigenous peoples as well.


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Mark Moreland wrote:
That's what the Aztecs thought. Colonists often have other plans...

In many parts of the Americas, the spread of disease did a lot of the European colonists' work for them. That probably won't be the case in a world where remove disease can stop a disease vector well before 80-90% of the native population has been lost. That will leave the colonists vastly outnumbered, even assuming a technological advantage.


Damon Griffin wrote:
Mark Moreland wrote:
That's what the Aztecs thought. Colonists often have other plans...
In many parts of the Americas, the spread of disease did a lot of the European colonists' work for them. That probably won't be the case in a world where remove disease can stop a disease vector well before 80-90% of the native population has been lost. That will leave the colonists vastly outnumbered, even assuming a technological advantage.

Even a mundane technological advantage won't really be all that significant when the main technological game-changer is magic.

Of course that doesn't really matter. What matters is what the developers are looking to do with the area and that's where it gets complicated. The OP here wanted Hispanic representation, which is reasonable, but that really requires long term colonial dominance, mixing, possibly with an imported South Garundan slave population and probably some kind of revolt leaving the local Hispanic population in charge. Which may be a bit too much of a direct import of real world populations and doesn't leave a lot of room for intact analogues of native cultures to exist side by side.


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Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Who knows to what entities the tribes of Arcadia pray and what they get in return? Perhaps the colonists will be the ones suffering unknown plagues, altered by plague demons so all the clerics and paladins despiar of it?

Or maybe there is even something worse...somethings that drove off the old Azlanti to leave there?

Silver Crusade

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Although I do see that Paizo has taken some elements from real-world history and used them as inspiration for parts of Golarion... I do not see any of the nations/peoples of Golarion as a direct analog for any real-world nation or ethnic group-- and I'd prefer to keep it that way.

While I like complex themes and social issues in my fantasy games, I still prefer to keep them fantasy, not something overly tangled up in reality. Draw on history-- yes. Mistake fictional places as stand-ins for real nations, no.


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Still waiting for a post and pre colonial Australia (Oceania).

The closest I get to post colonial Australia is Alkenstar- I changed the history to match harsh land former penal colony except that there was a relatively smooth melding of the indigenous and colonial populations.


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Snorter wrote:
Hayato Ken wrote:
But, having more alien fantasy things mixed in might also be a good choice. Perhaps even empires and nations that are not human? *gasp*
Any excuse to crack out my Warhammer Lizardmen army is a win for me.

We must have a far-spanning benevolent empire of flumphs!


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Finn Kveldulfr wrote:

Although I do see that Paizo has taken some elements from real-world history and used them as inspiration for parts of Golarion... I do not see any of the nations/peoples of Golarion as a direct analog for any real-world nation or ethnic group-- and I'd prefer to keep it that way.

While I like complex themes and social issues in my fantasy games, I still prefer to keep them fantasy, not something overly tangled up in reality. Draw on history-- yes. Mistake fictional places as stand-ins for real nations, no.

Ulfen, Kelshite, Vudrani, Variasin, Tian-min.

Galt, Andoren, Osirion, Land of the Linormm Kings, Minkai.


The NPC wrote:
Finn Kveldulfr wrote:

Although I do see that Paizo has taken some elements from real-world history and used them as inspiration for parts of Golarion... I do not see any of the nations/peoples of Golarion as a direct analog for any real-world nation or ethnic group-- and I'd prefer to keep it that way.

While I like complex themes and social issues in my fantasy games, I still prefer to keep them fantasy, not something overly tangled up in reality. Draw on history-- yes. Mistake fictional places as stand-ins for real nations, no.

Ulfen, Kelshite, Vudrani, Variasin, Tian-min.

Galt, Andoren, Osirion, Land of the Linormm Kings, Minkai.

Honestly, each of the Tian are essentially a real-world country, not just Tian-min.


This is sort of like the "Avistan is 19th Century" thread that's contemporary to this one.

The unifying feature of all of those cultures is: the writers wanted to set adventures there!

That's perfectly fine as a guiding star for a game setting.


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Finn Kveldulfr wrote:

Although I do see that Paizo has taken some elements from real-world history and used them as inspiration for parts of Golarion... I do not see any of the nations/peoples of Golarion as a direct analog for any real-world nation or ethnic group-- and I'd prefer to keep it that way.

While I like complex themes and social issues in my fantasy games, I still prefer to keep them fantasy, not something overly tangled up in reality. Draw on history-- yes. Mistake fictional places as stand-ins for real nations, no.

I'm actually quite tired of hearing this statement because unless we're doing something where every single thing is completely alien, there are real world analogues. I consider it a good thing. The only time people like to bring out this statement is when somebody else is complaining about a culture not being represented. The rest of the time, I think everybody knows the score.


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Mythic Evil Lincoln wrote:

Well, can I be the dissenting voice here?

I'm currently reading Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick, and the colonial setting is not without fascinating dynamics.

Surely genocidal zealots as Avistani colonists in Arcadia fit with the general themes of Pathfinder foils.

I agree it is good to avoid defining all of Arcadia in those terms, but honestly I'd like a chance to blaze a path against them as much as any Chelaxian slaver. They make great unvarnished villains; and that's my own neighborhood's history I'm talking about.

I certainly trust Mr. Jacobs not to discard the interesting stuff, but before everyone jumps to conclusions, I will speak to its defense: the clash of Native American and European cultures is downright fascinating, and a great opportunity for stories set upon an "untamed" western continent. (Depending on how you define "tamed" of course.)

America was, after all, settled by European adventurers, however despicably some of them might have behaved. (Depending on how you define "settled" of course).

It's a tricky topic, to be sure. Offensive on one side and preachy on the other. But Paizo has an excellent track record with navigating such waters in the name of a good story.

The problem, as I keep saying over and over until everyone has no doubt become sick of it, is the five thousand years of contact between the continents. Ten times the real-world equivalent. To have the whole native-settler dynamic play out at this point as anything like in real history... that cannot be anything but offensive and preachy. It just doesn't make sense, and jamming it into the situation will prevent anything good from coming of it.

Silver Crusade

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magnumCPA wrote:
Finn Kveldulfr wrote:

Although I do see that Paizo has taken some elements from real-world history and used them as inspiration for parts of Golarion... I do not see any of the nations/peoples of Golarion as a direct analog for any real-world nation or ethnic group-- and I'd prefer to keep it that way.

While I like complex themes and social issues in my fantasy games, I still prefer to keep them fantasy, not something overly tangled up in reality. Draw on history-- yes. Mistake fictional places as stand-ins for real nations, no.

I'm actually quite tired of hearing this statement because unless we're doing something where every single thing is completely alien, there are real world analogues. I consider it a good thing. The only time people like to bring out this statement is when somebody else is complaining about a culture not being represented. The rest of the time, I think everybody knows the score.

Nope, you're not getting my thought at all. Yes, ideas and things and bits and pieces of real-world history and cultures have provided inspiration for the nations of Golarion, and I'm okay with that. BTW-- if there are ideas and events, things one wants to draw in from cultures that we haven't drawn on yet-- I'm all for it. That's not what I'm reacting against (contrary to your "everybody knows the score" assertion, although you have my apologies if I didn't express myself well on my previous post in this thread).

However, Andoran is NOT America-- it does draw some ideas and parallels from historical America, but it is not the same place. It's clear that Galt drew heavily on the history of Revolutionary France, in the era of the terror-- but it is still NOT France in 1793-1794, and shouldn't be taken as an exact analog with the serial numbers (names) scraped off. Likewise, leave any harmful baggage you've got regarding China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Thailand, etc, when you play in the Dragon Empires-- there are themes drawn from each of these places, some elements drawn from real-world history, but they are NOT their presumed real-world counterparts-- they are fictional nations in a game, where magic and extra-planar beings provide many changes to the world.

Basically, it's still a fantasy world, these places are not identical, and I do not want to watch folks taking out their real-world baggage with various countries and cultures at the gaming table. I find that counter-productive. I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't draw some analogies and impressions from the 'real world', nor am I of the opinion that everything has to be totally alien; I just don't think that each piece should be taken lock, stock, and barrel as a stand-in for a real-world nation.

BTW-- to the NPC's remarks: yeah, we can see historical/cultural inspirations-- they're still not the actual countries/cultures they may be (loosely) based on. BTW-- Varisia, Vudra (with its djinn and high-magic), and the Lands of the Linnorm Kings-- I can see the mythological roots for some of these, but please explain which real-world, historical nations each of these countries is supposed to represent?

And, Serisan: I still maintain that although each of the Tien nations draws closely on the culture of a particular nation in Asia, there are (and should be) still enough differences that each of them is not simply "China/Japan/etc on Golarion" and should not be treated as such.


Evil Midnight Lurker wrote:
The problem, as I keep saying over and over until everyone has no doubt become sick of it, is the five thousand years of contact between the continents. Ten times the real-world equivalent. To have the whole native-settler dynamic play out at this point as anything like in real history... that cannot be anything but offensive and preachy. It just doesn't make sense, and jamming it into the situation will prevent anything good from coming of it.

Perhaps. I don't place all that much emphasis on consistency in the Golarion timeline. By all accounts Thassilon being 50,000 years old should play havoc with all sorts of cultural developments.

I don't think that the length of contact has all that much to do with the clash of cultures. I'm not really advocating a version of Arcadia that directly copies the events of the European colonization of the Americas... all I'm saying it, there is a lot of interesting material for fiction in those events.

I'd rather not get bogged down in the details of how disease and firearms and cultural notions of warfare lead to the result they did in the real world. I don't think that's thematically relevant to Pathfinder.

In any event, I do trust that the creative staff understands how to handle this, and I look forward to seeing the results.


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Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Finn Kveldulfr wrote:
magnumCPA wrote:
Finn Kveldulfr wrote:

Although I do see that Paizo has taken some elements from real-world history and used them as inspiration for parts of Golarion... I do not see any of the nations/peoples of Golarion as a direct analog for any real-world nation or ethnic group-- and I'd prefer to keep it that way.

While I like complex themes and social issues in my fantasy games, I still prefer to keep them fantasy, not something overly tangled up in reality. Draw on history-- yes. Mistake fictional places as stand-ins for real nations, no.

I'm actually quite tired of hearing this statement because unless we're doing something where every single thing is completely alien, there are real world analogues. I consider it a good thing. The only time people like to bring out this statement is when somebody else is complaining about a culture not being represented. The rest of the time, I think everybody knows the score.

Nope, you're not getting my thought at all. Yes, ideas and things and bits and pieces of real-world history and cultures have provided inspiration for the nations of Golarion, and I'm okay with that. BTW-- if there are ideas and events, things one wants to draw in from cultures that we haven't drawn on yet-- I'm all for it. That's not what I'm reacting against (contrary to your "everybody knows the score" assertion, although you have my apologies if I didn't express myself well on my previous post in this thread).

However, Andoran is NOT America-- it does draw some ideas and parallels from historical America, but it is not the same place. It's clear that Galt drew heavily on the history of Revolutionary France, in the era of the terror-- but it is still NOT France in 1793-1794, and shouldn't be taken as an exact analog with the serial numbers (names) scraped off. Likewise, leave any harmful baggage you've got regarding China, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, Thailand, etc, when you play in the Dragon Empires-- there are themes drawn from each of these places, some...

I can totally agree on that. Dragon Empires draw a lot of things from the real world, just like the rest of Golarion, but having been there and having studied some of that cultures i can assure you that they are not the Golarion equivalencies of real world China, Japan, etc, just like Andor is not the U.S.A.. And having people in a game who do behave in such a way and bring whatever packages to the table then can be a real downturning weight of it´s own. Be it disturbing "patriotic" behavior, racism, prejudice, overdone fandom of anime, etc.

If you read up those nation entrys in the respective books, they are actually very different. At least to me an asian country where actual krakens rule is unknown.

Paizo Employee Developer

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Evil Midnight Lurker wrote:
The problem, as I keep saying over and over until everyone has no doubt become sick of it, is the five thousand years of contact between the continents. Ten times the real-world equivalent. To have the whole native-settler dynamic play out at this point as anything like in real history... that cannot be anything but offensive and preachy. It just doesn't make sense, and jamming it into the situation will prevent anything good from coming of it.

To be a bit more clear, only the Ulfen have had contact with Arcadia for 5,000 years. That contact is also a bit unique in that Valenhall is a somewhat mystical place where old Linnorm Kings go to die. The contact with Arcadia in regards to Cheliax and Andoran is much much more recent.


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Nobody mentioned the Shoanti. I feel they warrant a mention because they're like the native americans in a way, so they'd be good if you wanted to make an aztec or mayan something or other. If you want something more spanish, I'd go Taldan because they've often been compared to Spain.

It'd be helpful to figure out what OP wants exactly for a character. Otherwise you invoke all these people that believe you're trying to demand an exact replica of Mexico in Golarion and get all indignant about you mucking up their fantasy with the real world and trying to bring your cultural 'baggage' into the setting.

The Exchange

Ernest Mueller wrote:


I've gone through playing the vast majority of the Golarion human ethnicities - a Vudran witch, Tian-Shu, Tian-Min... And since I live in Texas and half my family is Hispanic, I started to wonder what the analogue is in Golarion.

Of course pure-play Mexican would be over on Arcadia to use the RL analogy, but there's no Hispanic-flavored invaders there to make that happen with the Arcadians in the first place.

And of course on Golarion things aren't always one to one - like Cheliax is part Italy, part England in turn - but in general they pretty heavily link to RL ethnicities (Keleshites, Tien, Vudrans, etc.) I'm not really sure who I would go to at all for a Spanish type feel. I don't see anyone with Spanish type names or flavor. Ideas?

I believe an Inca/Maya people will be part of Arcadia, once they do campaign books on this continent. I also believe the Native American like cultures will pop up.

Liberty's Edge

Flynn Greywalker wrote:
Ernest Mueller wrote:


I've gone through playing the vast majority of the Golarion human ethnicities - a Vudran witch, Tian-Shu, Tian-Min... And since I live in Texas and half my family is Hispanic, I started to wonder what the analogue is in Golarion.

Of course pure-play Mexican would be over on Arcadia to use the RL analogy, but there's no Hispanic-flavored invaders there to make that happen with the Arcadians in the first place.

And of course on Golarion things aren't always one to one - like Cheliax is part Italy, part England in turn - but in general they pretty heavily link to RL ethnicities (Keleshites, Tien, Vudrans, etc.) I'm not really sure who I would go to at all for a Spanish type feel. I don't see anyone with Spanish type names or flavor. Ideas?

I believe an Inca/Maya people will be part of Arcadia, once they do campaign books on this continent. I also believe the Native American like cultures will pop up.

I don't think there's any plans for a sourcebook on Arcadia.

Mike


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I seriously can't wait to see Arcadia. I think Paizo does a great job making various cultural analogues in their fantasy setting, that gives the similiar themes of the RW concept, without them feeling too much the same.


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Mexican as in Spanish/Native peoples or Mexicans as just First Nation Meso-Americans?

Customer Service Representative

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Ernest,

I am a bit late to this discussion, but I wanted to say that in our home game my group has given the Varisian people a lot of our own cultural nuances (I'm from the Santa Fe area of New Mexico, and most of my group is northern New Mexican hispanic). This has worked very nicely for us and we have all really enjoyed creating this sort of New Mexican nomadic culture. I know that is not an official thing, but if you would like I can send you what we have created.

Diego

Senior Editor

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Diego Valdez wrote:

Ernest,

I am a bit late to this discussion, but I wanted to say that in our home game my group has given the Varisian people a lot of our own cultural nuances (I'm from the Santa Fe area of New Mexico, and most of my group is northern New Mexican hispanic). This has worked very nicely for us and we have all really enjoyed creating this sort of New Mexican nomadic culture. I know that is not an official thing, but if you would like I can send you what we have created.

Diego

Can I get a copy too, pls? ^_^

Customer Service Representative

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Sure thing! I will collect all our information tonight and get it to you tomorrow!

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