Desert Elves

Mostly pinched from http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/environmentalRacialVariants.htm modified for Pathfinder and the Thieves World background,

General Desert Racial Trait
Heat Endurance: Members of desert races gain a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist the effects of hot weather.

Desert Elves
In the desert, elves follow nomadic lifestyles. They herd horses, cattle, and goats across the sands, sleeping during the day and working or traveling at night. Their wandering takes them many places and puts them in contact with many cultures. As a result, they are welcome everywhere for the news and exotic trade goods they carry.

Racial Traits
Desert elves have the general desert racial trait described above and all elf racial traits, with additions and exceptions as noted below.

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength: Desert elves are physically weaker than their normal cousins, but are also hardier, toughened by the harsh reality of desert life.
• Weapon Proficiency: Desert elves receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the scimitar, rapier, and shortbow (including composite shortbow) as bonus feats. Desert elves prefer the scimitar to the longsword and the shortbow to the longbow, because they can use shortbows while mounted.
• +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal and Ride checks: Desert elves spend most of their lives riding and working with animals.
• No racial bonus on Listen checks.

Desert Runner {optional]:
Some elves thrive in the deepest deserts, forever roaming across burned and parched lands. Elves with this racial trait receive a +4 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue, exhaustion, or ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, or hot or cold environments. This racial trait replaces elven magic and the general Desert racial trait.

Thieves World:
Desert elves are extremely rare in the civilized lands surrounding the Great Wastes, and face a range of prejudices not least is the accusation of cannibalism which given the harshness of existence under the burning sun, may be well founded.

Disguising their heritage, robed and wearing tribal equivalents of the Agal, desert elves are often mistaken for Raggah nomads – who in turn are a rare encounter. Relationships between the nomads and the elves are chaotic, with individual tribes swearing either blood oaths or vendettas depending on ancient understandings.

Legend has it that deep in the Great Wastes the spires of the last elven city sing in the desert wind. Home to the aesthetics exiled from Enlinbar before the fall, the path is hidden in the perpetually shifting sands,  the city is both of this world and many others. Seekers after lost magical wisdom stumble to their death in the raging sandstorms surrounding the city within earshot but never quite within sight..

Desert elves begin play speaking Enli – a relation of the ancient language of Enlibar and one human tongue, often the guttural tongues of Aurveshan or Raggah. Additional languages often include the sign language of the Raggah, the pidgin Ilsigi / Rankene trade tongue and rarely the purer forms of Ilsigi and Rankene or the peculiar Sanctan dialect. Desert elves are rarely literate.

Common feats include; Endurance, Mounted Combat, Self-Sufficient and Weapon Focus (shortbow)