The nomadic elven tribes of the deep desert are the only intact elven culture that remains from the Lhazaari Empire. They have persisted through the ages via their wit, endurance, rigid social structure, and will to survive. A practical people with a rich history and deep creative roots, they are known for their extreme competence as navigators, warriors, and magic users. They are friendly to outsiders, but rarely let them into their inner sanctums. They are also generally tolerant to the laws of others, as long as their own traditions are not imposed upon.

Constant Travelers

Abhrolosi do not form permanent cities as a people; however, Abhrolosi tribes will form temporary seasonal settlements depending on the time of year and needs of their herds. These gatherings, known as confluences occur annually in the wet season, and act as a yearly opportunity to settle disputes, solidify alliances and trade agreements, share information, and read aloud the law of the people. While many of these settlements exist, the largest and most important is the temporary tent city of Abhrol in the Wyrm Mire. It is here, among the nests of the Dune Worms , that the tribes undertake their oldest and most sacred ritual of Wyrmbinding. After about six weeks, as the rains subside and the wildflower blooms begin, the tribes disperse to feed and water their flocks, leaving Abhrol until the following year.

Master Navigators

Living life in the deep desert requires constant vigilance against dangers both natural and magical. Sandstorms, dehydration, desert predators, dune magic, and even the daylight itself can be a danger to even the hardiest and most well prepared traveler. As such, Abrholosi learn from a young age how to navigate, hunt, and travel under myriad conditions, whether they be by night, in sandstorms, or across dunescapes that shift dramatically with the seasons. This skill is highly valued by explorers, merchants, and brigands alike, and many Abrholosi that live among settled people find themselves working as armed guides.

Staunch Traditionalists

Because of their history, or rather the history of their settled kin that once made up the Lhazaari Empire, the Abrholosi tend to maintain a strong sense of social structure, values, law, and tradition. Indeed, they argue, such rigid adherence to their ways has allowed them to survive and even thrive when their more ambitious, settled cousins fell to ruin. The tight-knit extended family structure of the tribe reinforces this attitude, as expulsion from one's tribe means not only loss of one's friends and comrades, but also one's family. As a result, most Abrholosi respect and reinforce the traditions of their people. Some of the more well known traditions include:

All Abrholosi, from the time time they can ride, must be armed at all times. Weapons are viewed less as objects of war than as tools of survival.

Abrholosi must return to, or render aid to members of their tribe whenever requested.

Abrholosi must break their Wyrmbond to reach adulthood in the eyes of the tribe. Only as an adult does a dune elf become a full voting member of the tribe, with power to determine migration patterns, enact trade compacts, and make decisions regarding war and peace.

Exodites

Like all people, some Abrholosi are inclined to reject authority and rigid confines of their culture, and push back against the strict codes imposed by their kin. These Abrholosi are often expelled from their tribes, an act which must be announced to all other tribes at the next confluence. Once expelled, a dune elf is forever after referred to by their own people as an Exodite.

While most Exodites are banished for rebelling against the laws or ways of their peoples, those that fail to (or refuse to) break their Wyrmbond likewise become outcasts.

Expelling a tribe-member is considered shameful both for the expelled as well as for the tribe: for the individual, expulsion is synonymous with desertion of duty to the tribe; for the tribe, expulsion is seen as a failure in the ability of the elders to lead and govern.

Exodites that encounter Abrholosi are met cooly at best. They are often forced to pay for services or goods they require as if an outsider, and are sometimes refused assistance entirely. As such, most exodites eventually either make their own way as outcasts or hermits, or find themselves heading to settlements.