So I really like Valeros as a character, but... how exactly are his parents illiterate? Are they Kellid barbarians with a 3rd-party trait?
In Pathfinder everyone, even Barbarians can read.
It seems like an example of Gameplay and Story Segregation, which I really don't like. It's jarring in video games, and it's nearly inexcusable in Table-Top RPGs, where we have a lot more freedom to adjust the rules to match the narrative.
I tend to view the rules as a "framework" upon which we drape the narrative, so in that function, the rules need to serve the narrative.
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Agreed with LazarX, don't sweat it. Not everything in a game world needs to follow the rules. They removed the old problem of barbarians not being able to read because it was silly and an unnecessary mechanical restriction. No one else in the game had a mechanical ability saying they couldn't read.
Sometimes things just are.
Think of Golarion as a fantastic reinvention of Earth. Even in the western world, there are those who have access to the material, but do not learn how to read.
Same reason Razmir isn't a 20th level wizard with the immortality discovery.
Is there any indication that Valeros's parents have PC class levels? If not, the problem goes away -- NPCs can be literate or illiterate or even unable to speak Common as the plot of the game demands.
Why / how is this an issue to begin with?
Creative Director
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The assumption in my head is that all PLAYER CHARACTERS (including our iconics, who are player character stand-ins) are literate, because the basic assumptions of the game work better when player characters can interact and communicate efficiently.
Whether or not an NPC (including Valeros's parents) are literate is entirely up to the author/developer/GM.
