Considering Asmodeus is the official state religion, I would think at least devil-born tieflings would be revered, rather than hated. What's the deal?
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Been a while since I read Cheliax related source material, but I think it may have something to do with how it shows a failure of will on behalf of which ever Chelaxian human helped bring it about. Cheliax, at least it's aristocracy, seems to like to fool itself into thinking IT has the upperhand, that the devils serve Cheliax, and not Cheliax the Devils. Tieflings might be seen as living symbols that devils and their influence remains even when the conjuring is done. And Cheliaxans, don't, I think, like a reminder that maybe, just maybe, they're not in control.
Edit: What Rysky said
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It's because Cheliax believes that their infernal pact should be interpreted as "Hell serves Cheliax" so when you stoop to have a child with a fiend, that's lessening yourself. Asmodeus permits Cheliax to believe all sorts of things that are untrue but serve Asmodeus.
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Hell is the perfect society. Perfect order. To the Chelish at least. That makes devils analogues to angels. You don't sleep with angels, that's some form of sacrilege/heresy/blasphemy/taboo/big no-no. Let alone have kids by them. Even though tieflings are a far cry from nephilim, you just don't do it.
So to mitigate this, and not to mention not make their outsider idols upset, tieflings are subjugated as second-class citizens.
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^ . . . Especially when their paychecks depend upon them not starting that upmountain battle.
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Yeah, you don't need the experts to remain silent on what they know or any kind of conspiracy for society to remain ignorant of the facts. The experts can scream it from the rooftops and wave graphs and 5,000 page reports summarizing decades of research in your face and many people still won't believe them.
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Eh, I think that it generally has made things better, we are just more aware of the bad stuff because we have access to, well everyone and everything now, and we have higher standards than people used to have.
My point wasn't information=bad, just that people who want to stay ignorant won't be cured by access to information.
For those of us who actually want to learn, having access to experts and the internet is fantastic. Heck, I wouldn't even have had the language to describe my identities as a trans and asexual person without the internet, because school and libraries and the media generally didn't talk about trans people except as a punchline to gross jokes, and still don't seem to be aware that asexuals are even a thing.
(I've still literally only seen one piece of non-internet media where a person was explicitly described as asexual, which is Bojack Horseman - I had to find out that there was a word for my sexuality other than "frigid" or "repressed" or "broken" from Tumblr).
Cheliax would absolutely get a net-benefit from having the internet, it just wouldn't necessarily eliminate racism against tieflings entirely. Tieflings would gain online communities where they can talk about what they are going through with each other, and non-tieflings would be able to actually read stuff written by an actual tiefling instead of all of their information coming from other humans (just many of them would choose to disregard it, but at least it would be there for those of them with open minds).
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I do not see a Lawful Evil society like Cheliax giving its citizens access to internet without having total control on the available content.
"It must be true, I saw it on Faustbook" :)
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I do not see a Lawful Evil society like Cheliax giving its citizens access to internet without having total control on the available content."It must be true, I saw it on Faustbook" :)
Okay, this MUST be a thing Cheliax does when it gets to the electronic age.
{. . .} Despite Asmodeus being the official state religion, it is essential to note that even within a theocracy, discrimination and prejudice can still exist and that the fight for justice and equality must be continuous. {. . .}
ESPECIALLY within a theocracy, discrimination and prejudice can still exist. And you can be sure Asmodeus is not fighting for justice and equality . . . I say, you must not be from Golarion . . . .
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Infernally-Touched Nephilim (P2E terminology, don't judge me)
Hellspawn is generally the more used term in publication and for brevity.
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Prejudices don't need to make sense. they are inherently based on falsehoods. In other words, Chelaxians believe this crap because they are terrible people, not be cause there is any sort of sense. They justify it with whatever they need to, the justification comes AFTER the hatred, it does not breed the hatred.
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{. . .} Despite Asmodeus being the official state religion, it is essential to note that even within a theocracy, discrimination and prejudice can still exist and that the fight for justice and equality must be continuous. {. . .}ESPECIALLY within a theocracy, discrimination and prejudice can still exist. And you can be sure Asmodeus is not fighting for justice and equality . . . I say, you must not be from Golarion . . . .
Except that Cheliax is no theocracy.
House Thrune's connection to Asmodeus is one based on contracts. The Thrunes have historically had some trouble with the Church of Asmodeus (every once in a while, they think THEY are in charge when it's CLEAR House Thrune is) but they've always been able to reel that trouble in.
Regarding racial prejudice, if Cheliax were smart, they'd try to do away with it and, instead, install something my Antipaladin Hellknight would call "Merciless Meritocracy." He'd say that the circumstances of one's birth is an immutable characteristic and not something one can help and so not something they can be "guilty" of. What they CAN control is their efforts if they don't actually try to succeed in a lawful manner, they can be guilty of not applying ones' self fully to become successful. They could be lazy (beware nobles, for even the rich MUST apply themselves to PROVE they are worthy of their station!), dishonest, or have any number of mortal faults that cause them to fall by the wayside, poor, criminals, etc.
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I do want to touch on one expansion to the authoritarian mindset: In addition to an external "enemy" (non-Chellish, rebellious "breakaway" nations, etc.), an authoritarian society will also usually target an internal "enemy" (or at least possible "enemy" worthy of suspicion) that can be readily identified (via physical characteristics, sumptuary laws to require colors/types of clothing, etc.). This is used as "justification" for the "harsh but necessary" measures for the authoritarian regime to remain in power.
For tieflings (and probably some other nephilim), IIRC from The Sixfold Trial, Cheliax has been at "war" with demons and their spawn for centuries. And it's not always readily apparent which type of fiend a tiefling has been "corrupted" by.
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I do want to touch on one expansion to the authoritarian mindset: In addition to an external "enemy" (non-Chellish, rebellious "breakaway" nations, etc.), an authoritarian society will also usually target an internal "enemy" (or at least possible "enemy" worthy of suspicion) that can be readily identified (via physical characteristics, sumptuary laws to require colors/types of clothing, etc.). This is used as "justification" for the "harsh but necessary" measures for the authoritarian regime to remain in power.
For tieflings (and probably some other nephilim), IIRC from The Sixfold Trial, Cheliax has been at "war" with demons and their spawn for centuries. And it's not always readily apparent which type of fiend a tiefling has been "corrupted" by.
The "internal" enemy is easy to name, in Westcrown at least.
House Dioso and any other family, guild, or other group that was associated with the Council of Thieves is fair game in the eyes of the Hellknights.
If there ever was a new Hellknight order who was given the Korradath as their stronghold, the remnants of the Council would have much to fear and the Hellknights would have a thing or two to learn about investigating corruption from the Oder of the Scourge.
Westcrown could be vibrant again and very prosperous despite it no longer being the capital if Council of Thieves corruption were rooted out.
Prejudices don't need to make sense. they are inherently based on falsehoods. In other words, Chelaxians believe this crap because they are terrible people, not be cause there is any sort of sense. They justify it with whatever they need to, the justification comes AFTER the hatred, it does not breed the hatred.
Yea this.
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I think one reason why racism against Tieflings in a diabolist nation seems like a disconnect is because we tend to think of "faith" wrong. If you think the average Chelaxian thinks of Asmodeus the way someone who worships a god does, that he is good, looking out for you, and his servants are benevolent, then yes Tieflings being herded into slums and ghettoes does sound a bit weird. But Cheliax doesn't really have that relationship with Asmodeus and the Hells, and I doubt even Asmodean clerics feel that way - you don't get to be a cleric without understanding (at least part) of what your god truly represents and wants. You just have to be completely down for it. Cheliax's relationship with Asmodeus and the Hells is more transactional, an exchange of goods and services. Just because Hell backs the Thrune dynasty doesn't mean people have to like them, or think its rulers are benevolent.
In that context, Tieflings suddenly become a threat to the human population - like half-elves, it's hard to hide an indiscretion when there's physical proof of it, but at least half-elves filter relatively harmlessly into the general human population. Every descendant of a Tiefling is also a Tiefling, and the more they have the more they dilute the human population. Especially in Cheliax, which has historically valued the (vastly overstated) purity of its Azlanti descent, I expect miscegenation in general isn't approved of by Chelaxian society. Among the nobility, Tiefling children are an embarrassment, visible proof of what should be respectably kept hidden. And your average superstitious peasant, kept dirt-poor and ignorant and occasionally terrorised by Asmodean Inquisitors and Hellknights who demonstrate the brutality of Hell as a deterrent, probably can't tell the difference between a Tiefling and a real devil and wouldn't understand the difference if it was explained to them. The fact that 2e Tieflings are now called Cambions, when 1e Cambions used to be a type of true demon born from an incubus, might also confuse things. The average Chelaxian can't even tell the difference between a Tiefling and some Aasimars/Empyreans.
Human nature has also shown that when times are hard there will always be some vulnerable minority who are just powerful enough to fear but always weak enough to be kept in line, that people can blame when times are hard. And for the last 119 years, times have been very tough for Cheliax - the death of Aroden and the rough times that followed the Thrune ascendancy, the loss of Ravounel and an uprising by Iomedean paladins, loss of Sargava, disaster in its Arcadian colonies and competition with Andoran, and the recent abolition of slavery probably is causing some social unrest as well, and just a general sense of imperial decline and the social and economic effects that brings. But there'll always be Tieflings to blame when the crops fail, or an Andoran corsair sinks your husband's ship, or a fiendish tyrannosaur eats your caravan while it's travelling through the forest, some rumour of cloven hoofprints after any theft, glowing eyes in a ram-horned head leering in the window when children go missing. And with the upcoming war, I'd expect rumours that the Tieflings are passing information to Andoran or are Andoran saboteurs as revenge for how they're treated to start spreading as paranoia sets in, especially if Cheliax suffers some severe setbacks and needs a propaganda scapegoat.
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I always agreed with the implied sentiment presumed of the OP: Citizens & Nobility in Cheliax should absolutely Not be generally racist against Tieflings. I feel it was poor design choice.
(Not as outrageously bad design as was making Hellknights a Lawful Neutral organization separate from the Cheliax monarchy that (LOL) is just as interested in worshipping Torag or Irori as Asmodeus. An outright bad design gimmick so that players could play a cool-sounding 'Hellknight' Prestige Class.)
For me, from the beginning, the average citizen or noble in Cheliax is NOT racist to Tieflings.
Of course, there is (from the beginning) inherently a great way to make this or that citizen or this or that noble of Cheliax racist to Tieflings and therefore far more dynamic, interesting and better as an NPC -- for all the reasons stated, in the old 'This NPC Duchess is racist against Tieflings because,...' stuff. And now your NPC is really cool. But that's one NPC, different from the status quo. Which makes it clever.
For my games, I did add an old-fashioned 'Daughters-of-the-American-Revolution'-like prejudice for Tieflings. Like, if you're a Tiefling then we have to look at your Family Tree and trace the ancestry like snobbish elites, noses in the air, silver spoon up our buttocks: 'Oh, your ancestor was a Malebranche, so like, your Mommy couldn't get with a descendant of an Arch-Devil?! .... Well, at least you're not one of those descendants of a Lesser Devil like a Barbazu, hahaha.'
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For my games, I did add an old-fashioned 'Daughters-of-the-American-Revolution'-like prejudice for Tieflings. Like, if you're a Tiefling then we have to look at your Family Tree and trace the ancestry like snobbish elites, noses in the air, silver spoon up our buttocks: 'Oh, your ancestor was a Malebranche, so like, your Mommy couldn't get with a descendant of an Arch-Devil?! .... Well, at least you're not one of those descendants of a Lesser Devil like a Barbazu, hahaha.'
That's an interesting take.
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Honestly, I'd be shocked if a lawful evil human society didn't have a bunch of laws/customs set up to preserve the position of humans from 'outsiders' (in any sense of the word) that might have the gall to try to get ahead in 'their' society...
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This is what I did for Molthune -- in order to separate Molthune from Cheliax or other 'evil' societies. I decided to make Molthune this Nazi or aryan-like bad-guy state that was equally against Orcs from Belkzin and human ethnicities other than their own. They war against Kyonin and 5-Kings-Mts and push a pogrom of ethnic cleansing from all 'non-Molthuni' humans. .... Back in the day when the campaign setting was brand new, it was my way of really telling the difference between Molthune and Cheliax. So for me, in Molthune they'd be very racist against any Tiefling, Orc, Ratfolk, Halfling, Half-Elf, Ifrit, even an Aasimar if the Human-side wasn't Molthuni. .... So far I've only run one game in Molthune, where the PCs are tasked with liberating a 'concentration camp' to rescue Nirmathi, Druman, and Elven people from the Molthuni.
Ultimately, the Molthuni for me are kinda like the Zhentarim in FR (at least how I see the Zhents.)
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I did add an old-fashioned 'Daughters-of-the-American-Revolution'-like prejudice for Tieflings. Like, if you're a Tiefling then we have to look at your Family Tree and trace the ancestry like snobbish elites, noses in the air, silver spoon up our buttocks: 'Oh, your ancestor was a Malebranche, so like, your Mommy couldn't get with a descendant of an Arch-Devil?! .... Well, at least you're not one of those descendants of a Lesser Devil like a Barbazu, hahaha.'
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That's an interesting take.
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Thanks.
It seemed the logical step for my game -- in the same way a noble in our feudal middle age would be pouring through the lineage-books finding the best daughter for his son to marry in order to keep his House as good as he can, I saw an even better opportunity for Tieflings in Cheliax to espouse their bloodline and therefore influence in society.
Alas, I have only had the chance to introduce it briefly in my own game (I do so much Varisia and Ustalov, with some Andoran and Absalom thrown in, that my Cheliax campaign ideas seem to get put off until "maybe next campaign".) In that game -- based heavily on "My Lady's Mirror" by Chris Perkins from Dungeon magazine -- I had a Tiefling with far fewer Class Levels lord it over a Tiefling with much higher Ability Scores and Class Levels simply because of pre-Human bloodline. And that 'status' was implied throughout the castle. But again, it was a brief part of a brief adventure; I didn't a chance to really play it out.
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{. . .} Despite Asmodeus being the official state religion, it is essential to note that even within a theocracy, discrimination and prejudice can still exist and that the fight for justice and equality must be continuous. {. . .}ESPECIALLY within a theocracy, discrimination and prejudice can still exist. And you can be sure Asmodeus is not fighting for justice and equality . . . I say, you must not be from Golarion . . . .Except that Cheliax is no theocracy.
House Thrune's connection to Asmodeus is one based on contracts. The Thrunes have historically had some trouble with the Church of Asmodeus (every once in a while, they think THEY are in charge when it's CLEAR House Thrune is) but they've always been able to reel that trouble in.
But it is a theocracy, at least in part: Although worship of deities other than Asmodeus is allowed, all must pay homage to Asmodeus.
Regarding racial prejudice, if Cheliax were smart, they'd try to do away with it and, instead, install something my Antipaladin Hellknight would call "Merciless Meritocracy." He'd say that the circumstances of one's birth is an immutable characteristic and not something one can help and so not something they can be "guilty" of.
But Cheliax very much has a system of noble houses, and in order to function, that requires notions of noble birth and the trappings of such. (Well, if they had a powerful capitalist system, they could instead use wealth, but they don't have that -- if you want that on Golarion, you have to go to Druma.)
What they CAN control is their efforts if they don't actually try to succeed in a lawful manner, they can be guilty of not applying ones' self fully to become successful. They could be lazy (beware nobles, for even the rich MUST apply themselves to PROVE they are worthy of their station!), dishonest, or have any number of mortal faults that cause them to fall by the wayside, poor, criminals, etc.
I could certainly see the rulers of Cheliax advertising this -- but living by it is another matter. Actually, that sounds very familiar . . . .
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But it is a theocracy, at least in part: Although worship of deities other than Asmodeus is allowed, all must pay homage to Asmodeus.
Having an established church is not the same thing as being a theocracy. Asmodean priests and inquisitors having high positions in the state is unusual, and other than being established the Church of Asmodeus has no constitutional role (for instance, providing personnel to a council of scholars to review and either approve or reject laws). The positions of head of state and high priest are even separate.
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Honestly, I'd be shocked if a lawful evil human society didn't have a bunch of laws/customs set up to preserve the position of humans from 'outsiders' (in any sense of the word) that might have the gall to try to get ahead in 'their' society....
This is what I did for Molthune -- in order to separate Molthune from Cheliax or other 'evil' societies. I decided to make Molthune this Nazi or aryan-like bad-guy state that was equally against Orcs from Belkzin and human ethnicities other than their own. They war against Kyonin and 5-Kings-Mts and push a pogrom of ethnic cleansing from all 'non-Molthuni' humans. .... Back in the day when the campaign setting was brand new, it was my way of really telling the difference between Molthune and Cheliax. So for me, in Molthune they'd be very racist against any Tiefling, Orc, Ratfolk, Halfling, Half-Elf, Ifrit, even an Aasimar if the Human-side wasn't Molthuni. .... So far I've only run one game in Molthune, where the PCs are tasked with liberating a 'concentration camp' to rescue Nirmathi, Druman, and Elven people from the Molthuni.
Ultimately, the Molthuni for me are kinda like the Zhentarim in FR (at least how I see the Zhents.)
Interesting, my favourite aspect of Molthune in the canon is that they're almost the opposite of this interpretation! The two-tier system of residency where those who serve in the military can go from labourers/foreigners to the well-supported citizen category, as well as the roman aesthetics in some of the art giving some direction as to where the citizenship inspiration is drawing from, gives rise to a very interesting society to me. There's a core of old-money citizens who are very prejudiced, but also an increasing influx of newer citizens from very diverse backgrounds - they just had to be willing to serve for years in an imperialistic military to join. I think it justifies the old position of Molthune being LN rather than LE, and sets up an interesting situation - regardless of almost any inherent aspect of who you are, it seems like you can become a citizen in Molthune, but the cost is that you'll need to be complicit with their military. I find it a really interesting place in the setting.
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I think many people miss the mark when it comes to Cheliax. First Cheliax may be the largest imperial empire in the world. Sure Quadira may be bigger but that is speculation and on the other side of the world. Cheliax is the world power of the inner sea.
Second, Cheliax is the kingdom of men. Always has been. Cheliax was the chosen of the god of men, Aroden. It was KNOWN that Aroden would return to Golarion to usurer in the golden age of men and he would do it in the capital of Cheliax, Westcrown.
The death of Aroden shook the world but nowhere as much as Cheliax. By the time Aroden died Cheliax had converted ALL government functions over to the church of Aroden. Why do you need mortals in government when a god is going to do it. So when Aroden died the government collapsed and civil war broke out.
The civil war lasted 30 years. During which house Thrune made a pact with Asmodeous. This pushed Thrune to win the war. As a part of the pact Asmodeous became the state religion.
Hell Knights should be given an even more close look as they PREDATE the rule of Thrune and are not beholden to it; unless you count the Order of the Glyph, which most do not. To become a Hellknight one must kill a devil in single combat.
This I believe is the reason Tieflings are considered lesser than man. Add to this and the enslavement of any Halfling they can catch and you get a society that views all races less than man.
In my campaigns I envision Berlin 1936-1939. I believe this is the historical moment that inspired the look and feel of Cheliax. Especially the imagery of the banners of Thrune prominently displayed reminds me of images of Berlin 1936. I use this period as it is the time between the 1936 Berlin Olympic's and the Feb 20,1939 Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden, New York where over 20,000 Americans attended. Of course that all change when Germany invaded Poland Sept 1, 1939.
Cheliax is also the de-facto colonizer. That is until Andoran sank their navy. You can add all the colonial history to the Shackels and Vidrian. In this I view Cheliax as a composite of the British, Dutch and Spanish colonial efforts. For instance it is not hard to see similarity from the Aspis Consortium to the Dutch West India Company.
And yet another reason for the Chelaxian racism is that they believe they are the direct dissidents to real humans... the Azlanti. Taldor, and to a much greater stance Celiax both state they are the pure descendants of Arodin and the Azlanti. For this reason Cheliaxians tend to look down on all other human ethnicity as well.
Using Cheliax in this manner will give you a rich tapestry where you can tell compelling fantasy story's based off Ann Franks Diary, Schindler's List, The Jessie Owens Story, or the Underground railroad using the Bellflower network. So have you villain fly the black and crimson and let them know this baddy has the legal backing of a god.
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I think many people miss the mark when it comes to Cheliax. First Cheliax may be the largest imperial empire in the world. Sure Quadira may be bigger but that is speculation and on the other side of the world. Cheliax is the world power of the inner sea.
Second, Cheliax is the kingdom of men. Always has been. Cheliax was the chosen of the god of men, Aroden. It was KNOWN that Aroden would return to Golarion to usurer in the golden age of men and he would do it in the capital of Cheliax, Westcrown.
The death of Aroden shook the world but nowhere as much as Cheliax. By the time Aroden died Cheliax had converted ALL government functions over to the church of Aroden. Why do you need mortals in government when a god is going to do it. So when Aroden died the government collapsed and civil war broke out.
The civil war lasted 30 years. During which house Thrune made a pact with Asmodeous. This pushed Thrune to win the war. As a part of the pact Asmodeous became the state religion.
Hell Knights should be given an even more close look as they PREDATE the rule of Thrune and are not beholden to it; unless you count the Order of the Glyph, which most do not. To become a Hellknight one must kill a devil in single combat.
This I believe is the reason Tieflings are considered lesser than man. Add to this and the enslavement of any Halfling they can catch and you get a society that views all races less than man.
In my campaigns I envision Berlin 1936-1939. I believe this is the historical moment that inspired the look and feel of Cheliax. Especially the imagery of the banners of Thrune prominently displayed reminds me of images of Berlin 1936. I use this period as it is the time between the 1936 Berlin Olympic's and the Feb 20,1939 Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden, New York where over 20,000 Americans attended. Of course that all change when Germany invaded Poland Sept 1, 1939.
Cheliax is also the de-facto colonizer. That is until Andoran sank their navy. You can add all the colonial history to...
It's not speculation that the Kelesh empire is larger, it has been concretely canon since the original campaign setting book. Qadira on its own is maybe half the size of Cheliax, and that's just one of many satrapies in the Kelesh empire, which is itself larger than any of its satrapies. It's also not on the other side of the world; the holdings of the Kelesh empire border Taldor and are part of the Inner Sea. Cheliax is also not particularly large for Tian-Xia either; Xa Hoi, Lingshen, Minkai, and Nagajor are all comfortably larger than Cheliax. Cheliax is the largest state in the Inner Sea, and is clearly one of the major centers of power in the region, but is not a world-defining power, and is not without rivals in the Inner Sea - any two of Taldor, Andoran, Osirion, and Rahadoum would at least be able to seriously hinder Cheliax, and any three of them would certainly win. Cheliax is not in a position where it is clearly the sole dominant power in its region.
I also think it's unfair to say that Cheliax is the definitive kingdom of men - yes, Aroden was prophesized to appear in Westcrown and rule from it, but Aroden has always had a very Inner Sea-centric definition of humanity, neglecting the humans Tian-Xia, Casmaron, and Arcadia very thoroughly. I see no reason to expect that to change upon this return of Aroden - he'd had plenty of time walking the surface of Golarion and leading people previously, it's not like this would be his first time doing this.
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*snip*
Yes, even comparing the land areas of Taldor and Cheliax at their respective heights with that of Lung Wa at its height, or Kelesh or Vudra or Holomog now, it's striking how insignificant the Avistani empires appear. Razatlan at its height would probably dwarf both Cheliax and Taldor at their respective heights too, but we can't be sure.
Of course, land area isn't everything, but the Avistani empires also aren't especially populous (for their size or otherwise), naturally resourced, economically developed, institutionally robust, technologically advanced, commercially competitive, militarily successful, educated, free, divinely favored, or magically gifted either. Their self-importance is entirely unwarranted. That's the whole point.
I agree completely. I did a poor job of it, but I intended the line to be sarcastic. I thought I read somewhere that from the inner sea perspective those lands are mostly unknown. I am a bit unclear as to how often a ship from Tain Xia, Vudra, or Kelesh pull into Absolom. I know that there have been legendary trips to those locations but I assume they are like Marco Polo, James Cook, and Columbus. Are there weekly, monthly or seasonal ships to those exotic locations, or is each trip its own expedition?
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I agree completely. I did a poor job of it, but I intended the line to be sarcastic. I thought I read somewhere that from the inner sea perspective those lands are mostly unknown. I am a bit unclear as to how often a ship from Tain Xia, Vudra, or Kelesh pull into Absolom. I know that there have been legendary trips to those locations but I assume they are like Marco Polo, James Cook, and Columbus. Are there weekly, monthly or seasonal ships to those exotic locations, or is each trip its own expedition?
Sea trade between Vudra and the Inner Sea Region is brisk and fairly regular, with Vudran commerce having purchase as far north as Korvosa. Vudra is a colonial power in the Inner Sea Region, with sovereignty over Jalmeray; if the Arkona coup in Korvosa during the events of Curse of the Crimson Throne had succeeded, that state would likely have been subordinated to Vudra as well, in time. Vudra is also a colonial power in southern Garund. Keleshite and Katapeshi merchants dominate the sea trade in Absalom, with Osirioni, Taldans, Andorens, and Chelaxians being competitive to varying degrees. Tian Xia trades more overland (via the Crown of the World) and by portal (via the Stone Road and auidara) with Avistan than it does by sea with anywhere in the Inner Sea Region.
Traders from the Inner Sea Region have seemingly more difficulty making their way to destinations abroad than foreign merchants have making their way to the Inner Sea Region, generally speaking. This is because the Inner Sea Region is generally too poor to fund regular foreign expeditions; nor can their merchants expect to recoup their outlays by selling their inferior wares.
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Maybe Cheliax looks down on Tieflings for the same reason they look down on Halflings, because of their names. One might say it's a lingual quirk. And they're against fun, against flings.
Language jokes aside, we have an authoritarian system w/ little in the way of competing ideologies to balance it. As standard for such, those in power delineate the haves from the have-nots, so obvious markers like say being a Tiefling (or Halfling) show one is a have-not, thus worthy of despising. With other races/Ancestries one can tell they're different, but kinda outside the Cheliax system so it's harder to place them (what with magic & leveling). Without shows of wealth or power, they too, as well as humans, likely suffer bigotry. If Tieflings had been in the mix from the beginning, there likely would be no ideology against them. But they weren't. They're obvious bastards, orphans, "other" and what not, whose existence demonstrates a failure on the part of the Golarion parent. Either a person powerful enough to run in diabolic circles succumbed to Hell's temptations (Outsiders being outside the system and inhuman) or worse. And one doesn't elevate tainted people, not in an authoritarian system because those feed on targeting the different.
I imagine an influx of non-Golarion Tieflings of wealth would alter such perceptions, but also that Cheliaxian powers-that-be would fight any such influx from any source, though especially from known schemers, dictators, corrupters, even if they are tenuous allies. I can also imagine Asmodeus being proud of Cheliax's tactics while also seeing their bigotry as a worthy obstacle for his own forces to test their mettle against...on their path to takeover.
^This sounds very familiar . . . .