Elves, half elves, and other scum

[Angela Christine]

I've been ponder half-elves.  Most PC half-elves live among humans, but logically wouldn't a fair number of them be born among elves?  What do elven women do with their half-breed whelps?  I don't think that elves are more likely than humans to leave an unwanted baby on the nearest sand dune, so there must be some half-elves raised as part of elven tribes.  Maybe second class members of the tribe, but members none the less.   Right?  Or am I just nuts?

That said, I think the desert elf outpost should be a valid starting location for half-elves, and a couple half-elf NPCs there wouldn't her either.  Halfbreeds may not be able to keep up when the tribe decides to run around all day, but they can hunt near the outpost, or hang out inside as their tribe's resident trade representative.  

There is also an elven shop somewhere that scoffs at non-elves, if half-elves are sometimes members of the tribes, then this shopkeeper might be willing to deal with dirty half-breeds.

AC

[krelin]

This is an interesting thing.  I ran into a d-elf one time that claimed they rode kanks all the time because they were abandoned by their tribe and raised by humans.  Skip past the unlikelihood of all of that (hopefully that didn't last long), I think players who want to do this -sort- of thing should be half-elves...  A half-elf, for example, might actually (by blood) BE a full elf, but because of having been raised by or among humans failed to develop the same musculature as a normal "runner" type elf....

As for half-elfs being raised by elves, I would imagine it happens occasionally, though I suspect elves ARE in fact more likely to be "racist" in their views of their half-breed children...  where a human might suck it up, an elf would ditch the half-breed (especially a tribal elf).

[The Lonely Hunter]

an elf would ditch the half-breed (especially a tribal elf).

I dunno about this. I would -think- a tribe would welcome any extra hands they can get as long as they were actually a part of the tribe. Some tribes may differ but that is my view for the majority of the tribes.

Also, I doubt she-elf #1 has only had sex with one guy and that one happoned to be human (if their tribe even links sex and being pregnant) so there would be no real way to tell until the child was older unless the child was born with only human features. Even then it could easily just be viewed as a mutation.

[krelin]

The half-breed wouldn't be able to keep up with the runners.  He'd eventually become an outcast anyway, why bother raising him?

[creeper386]

What does having to "keep" up with runners have to do with anything? Most tribes wouldn't be running everywhere. And if they do it's probably not over a large area, they work one area then move on over a large area. Most tribes would probably keep kanks or something to haul the large things about. I'd imagine in the least most tribes would have larger tents and such. Older tribes probably have defensive measures. Maybe even a wall of mek bones or something.

Also, most tribes would have children that wouldn't be able to keep up as fast. Some tribes may even have elderly. A half-elf probably wouldn't be viewed as an equal probably left to the more menial tasks which would change from tribe to tribe but it'd probably be more compound based things. Since every hand would be needed out hunting or in a fight or just because the half elves aren't good for much anything else.

These half elves probably wouldn't ride either. They'd probably consist of the main group when moving. Staying with the kanks and children while the rest of the tribe scouts and protects.

I think a good example of tribal behavior like this with half breeds can be found in a book by Weis and Hickmann... Dealing with a stone and people with magical armour... Can't think of the name right now. But it has tribal type people that are combative, the half breeds are weaker and viewed as lesser when it comes to fighting and so are left to the menial tasks as feeding and keeping up the slaves. The cooking, and serving their full breed owners(Rather it's parent or they are considered a "free" slave or what I don't know). Although the book ends with the half breeds starting to get more respect because although they are weaker they are smarter and quicker and prove they are worthwhile in combat as well. SHRUG.


Creeper who just thought he'd throw in his opinion.

[Angela Christine]

The half-breed wouldn't be able to keep up with the runners.  He'd eventually become an outcast anyway, why bother raising him?

Do you throw away your obsidian sword because it isn't a steel sword?  A half-breed would undoubtably be considered inferior by arrogant elves, but inferior isn't the same as useless.  Animals are inferior too, but many elven tribes make use of domesticated animals.  Elves aren't stupid, they know a halfbreed won't be able to run worth shit and will likely be clumsy and of inferior intellect (by elven standards) but he will also probably be strong and hardy.  He has a better chance of being able to use a strong bow or other heavy weapons than most elves, he moves slow but he can carry more and is a little more likely to survive disease or poison.  A useful tool.

While PC elves may run non-stop, I doubt that most entire tribes spend every day on the run.  Elven infants can not run, and small children will be too heavy to carry, but too weak to run far or fast.  The blackwing outpost is the most well known elven settlement, but undoubtably there are many other permanent, semi-permanent and temporary elven settlements throughout the world.  The hunters and raiders run off to do their thing, but the children, the elderly and the animals will move more slowly or not move at all, not every day.  There is room for a toddler that can't run.

Besides, elven people are people, not atomatons.  An elven mother is likely to feel some attatchement to her baby, even if it has pathetically rounded ears and stubby legs.  She may learn to dispise his weakness when he gets older, but all babies are helpless and cute.

AC

[Plazgoth]

I think it would probably depend on the tribe. From what I have read and seen tribal desert elves are a very proud bunch, no female will stoop low enough as to sleep with a human, dwarf, or anything that will result in a half breed. If she was raped, then I think the shame and embarrassment is what would keep her from bringing a half-breed to her tribe. I think instead she would live in seclusion with her child or desert it and come back to her tribe without the half-breed.  The only way  I see for a half-elf to make their way into a tribe is if the mother was a city elf who got raped and thrown out of the city. Then if she somehow manages to get a tribe to offer her shelter and bares the child within the tribe, and the child looks very much like an elf they might not throw her out. But if the child looks more human, I would think she will find herself ousted from the tribe quickly. Further I think desert elves do not look too favorably on city elves so even that scenario seems extremely unlikely.

Just my 2 sid

[creeper386]

Plazgoth, your scenario's unlikely because elves don't look favorably on anyone outside their tribe, elf or not.

But like I said. Most societies ussually find a use for the lessers. Commoners are less then nobles. Do you see all the commoners getting removed from the city? A half breed may not be as quick or smart as a full blooded elf but it still has it's uses. Even if it's fodder for the next big Gaj hunt.

I found the book, "Guardians of the Lost," Volume two of teh Sovereign Stone Trilogy. Good book. First ones a recommended read to get an idea of what the words about. Personally recommend alot of Weis and Hickman's books like the Death Gate Cycle and such.

Anyways, I would expect it to differ from tribe to tribe, maybe some small tribes with half elves being near equals because there is no other choice. Been thinking about being bored and writing up tribal docs for a future desert elf character and if I get around to it well certainly have to include this in the society structure.

Creeper who thanks AC for bringing up a good new thing to think about.

[krelin]

Firstly, from a mechanical perspective, the purpose of having children is to -strengthen- a community, a tribe, a nation.  Having a child which is known to be inferior might not only result in the helpless child's exile, but also any mother or father willful enough or disinterested enough in the interests of the tribe, to dare defending it.  Weakness cannot be tolerated in a society so harsh as a desert tribe, why would it be tolerated in a helpless child who can only ever (at -best-) hope to eat the tribe's food, grow up useless and be exiled anyway.  I don't think, when you're grubbing for every bit of food and every drop of water, cute enters into it.

Secondly, I think desert tribes of elves generally -do- in fact, run everywhere.  D-Elves grow tired FASTER walking.  In six or seven years that half-breed -will- be expected to keep up with the tribe, or simply die to the many predators that the tribe faces (a healthy, full-grown male ISN'T going to carry him at that point).

I'm not saying a half-elf raised by desert tribal elves is impossible, but it does seem unlikely.  I might more easily see a half-elf raised by city elves, but even that still seems unlikely for similar reasons.  (the half-breed will be slow-witted by comparison, at best).

[Delirium]

It might not be immediately apparent that the half-elf is indeed a half-elf, and by the time the kid is old enough for the other members of the tribe to be able to tell, they may have already been a part of the tribe for quite a few years. I imagine the tribe would get upset about it and kick them out or at least fight over allowing them to remain within the tribe once their mixed blood has become all too apparent, but I don't think it's impossible that a half-elf could grow up in one.

[Rindan]

I tend to think that not all desert elf societies would whack a half elf if a mother gave birth to one.  True, some tribes might be so obsessed with keeping the tribe strong that they would kill of a half breed child because it can't perform all the same functions as a normal elf.  A half breed born into a tribe would not, in my mind, be looked at as an outsider.  This is especially true if it is not realized that the baby is a half breed until it has grown up.  It would be a trusted member because it IS part of the tribe and it has passed all the tests to be a member (in this case, it was born).  Unless the half breed did something to make then think that it is unworthy, I don't see why anything other then a mentality of keeping the tribe strong would cause them to kill it.  If they would kill a half breed tribe member, by that logic wouldn't they also have to kill the old and crippled?

As to movement, desert elf tribes can't all run together.  Even the most mobile tribes are still going to have heavy tents, cooking equipment, weapons, and other bulky things.  Even a tribe of raiders needs people to move slow and carry the loot.  To think that the entire tribe runs where ever it goes is ridiculous.  Further, packs animals and the like simply can't be forced to run or else they will burn out.

It is possible that a half breed might be initially viewed as a cripple, but a half breed might also eventually take on a sort of special honored position.  A half breed after all is strong and sturdier.  He might prove himself to be a valuable warrior in the tribe.  True, he might not be able to go on raids because he is too slow, but he could be valuable for defending the tribe's base camp, young, and others who are also immobile.

I think that there is a lot of room to improvise.  I can see some potentially interesting roles of a half breed who was raised by elves.  First, the half breed would have to hold a unique place in that tribe's society.  Further, a half elf is still a half elf.  It simply naturally doesn't have the same drives as an elf.  He might be taught to be sneaky and crafty, but he still will always have to struggle with his natural desire to be accepted and be independent.

[rnix]

Half-breeds in the case you were speaking of would just be left to grow up in an orphanage i'm sure. I like to know the contrast between elves and desert elves. Elves may have the stamina to run across the desert but they certainly don't have as strong as legs to make the run and be successful, Or without falling over a few times. If that made anysense someone please comment on that. Then again city elves and desert elves are quite different and it seems that they have this constant battle among each other. The whole 'racist' mood of the game between races though is quite interesting. I mean if an elf or an human speaks Mirukkim how do you expect the Dwarf to react to that? I've seen this rped in many different ways and visa versa, Its all pretty interesting to be honest.

For an elven shop keeper to scoff at a half-breed is understandable though just think about it, Its really just being disdusted about the fact that her mother/father is a human..... Not wanting him in his shop and all

[Shinigami]

The 'racist' view you seem to be remarking on has been, from what I've seen more of a tribal one.  Elves know that other elves will rob/cheat/steal from them at any given moment, unless they're of the same tribe.  Elves regard business with other elves as as dangerous if not morso than humans regard it.  Elves know what they are capable of, and city tribes and desert tribes have little to nothing in common.

Elves are, however, only one race.  Cultural differences, imo, are the gap between the desert and city runners.  The desert elf is likely a ranger and a trader, who surreptitiously bilks wanderers out of every worthwhile good in trade for the worst crap they come across.  The city elf, on the other hand, is likely a pickpocket at best, whose most common ploy is either selling low-quality goods for coin, or stealing what they need from unsuspecting victims.  City elves have no real reason to ever leave the gates, they can't steal from scrabs or trick silt-horrors.  Desert elves have little to no need to enter cities, they're filled with other tribes of elves (the city-dweller tribes) as well as humans who despise -all- of their kind.  So the Desert Elven Tribes prize running across sand and scrub, and practice in the tribal lands of their family, while City Elven Tribes run through cramped and crowded streets, strewn with rubble, offal, and other things completely foreign to the wilderness tribes.

I had a thought earlier today about half-elves, and who would befriend them openly.  The thought came that it might be other half-elves or dwarves who can use the half-elf as a part of their focus.  However, in the case of other half-elves, it might be like that Star Trek episode with Frank Gorshin, in which one character was black on one side, right on the other, and the second was colored the opposite.  The famous tv line is "But I am black on the -right- side."  Half-elves share similar characteristics, but physcially they vary from character to character.  This could cause conflict between them.  *shrugs*

[Angela Christine]

From Help Half-elf:

Regardless of these attributes, however, half-elves can virtually always pass for either humans or elves, and share the skin tones and hair-and-eye colours of both parents.

It is possible that you couldn't tell just by looking that it was a half elf, even as an adult.  The stat ranges for elves and half-elves overlap, so any particular half-elf may not be noticably dumber, clumsier, stronger or hardier than the average elf.  The only test would be that a full-blood elf can run circles around a half-breed, but that won't be obvious until the child is 10-15 years old, until then he may be mistaken for a late bloomer (even after he might be able to pass it off as the result of an injury).  It says half-elves can nearly always pass for one or the other of their parent races, so this isn't so far fetched.  Probably 30-50% of half-elves raised among elves could pass for elves, in terms of appearance.

The half-elf help file also says that many half-elves are the result of rape, not that all or even most of them are.  Many of them are the children of prostitutes, and while desert elves may not often be prostitutes, I can picture some of them using a little slap and tickle to get what they want.  Elves and humans can find eachother attractive, they just don't find their offspring attractive, so some of 'em are probably the result of ordinary one night stands.  

AC

[Margo]

Depends on what kind of society the elves are I would guess.  If they are your typical hunter/gatherer society..  Nomads that have a hugh area they live in and migrate between "camps" depending on herds and time of year (American Indians, Abergy (sp?))..  Then they were extremely social and open minded.  In the case of the elves, they may not wait for the half elf, but if that half-elf could track them down eventually, they may not push him away either.  *shrug*  All depends on how the GMs see the elves I guess.  

If the elves are a very limited closed society, though Halfelves miught not be "desired" a break in the evelution chain might be welcome to prevent in breeding.  Half mates with an elf, child is 3/4 elf, mates with another elf, then he is 7/8th, mates gain.. you basically have a full elf w/no inbreeding.  but that's me thinking out loud.

[Angela Christine]

Depends on what kind of society the elves are I would guess.  If they are your typical hunter/gatherer society..  Nomads that have a hugh area they live in and migrate between "camps" depending on herds and time of year (American Indians, Abergy (sp?))..  Then they were extremely social and open minded.  In the case of the elves, they may not wait for the half elf, but if that half-elf could track them down eventually, they may not push him away either.  *shrug*  All depends on how the GMs see the elves I guess.  

While most delf PCs are constantly on the move, my guess is that even in nomadic tribes a good chunk of the population stay in or near the camp.  The small children, elderly, injured, pregnant females that are ready to pop, the sick, and the maimed aren't going to be in a position to run all day, every day.  If your tribe keeps domestic animals, and most tribes do, someone has to stay with them because they won't be able to travel as quickly as healthy delves.  The camp may move every week, but when moving the camp you will have to travel more slowly, so that the children, old people and the poor bastards stuck carrying the tents can keep up.  Some tribes may be savage enough that they kill or leave to die any member that is old, feeble, imperfect infants, injured, sickly, or maimed, because weak people make the tribe weaker, but most people don't feel good about leaving their mom on a dune to die and be eaten by scavengers.  

Most PCs don't hang out in the camp, because that would be just like being a city dweller who never leaves their city, except the average d-elf camp is less interesting than a real city.  People chose delf PCs because they want to run around.  So the camp sitters are mostly virtual, but they are still there.  A few warriors have to be left with the camp, otherwise raiders will steal your children and animals.  This provides an excellent opportunity to use half elves.  Someone has to take care of the animals, and half elves usually have a repore with animals.  Someone has to stand around protecting the camp, and since they can't run well a half elf can train in camp protection and defense.  They are also usually a little stronger than elves, so they are excellent candidates for chores like hauling water and other heavy materials, digging ditches for defences or latrines, and setting up barriers like spiked fences or thorny brush around the camp.  They may be treated as second class citizens, but they are definately useful.

It is plausible that a delf tribe would raise a half elf, over time they might even have several in their tribe.  A half elf PC raised by delfs is possible, although it would take some work to make them part of a PC tribe or come up with a reason why he left the tribe.  (Half elves might not have the strong tribalism instinct of full elves, but they would have the ingrained culture of being raised within the tribe).

Angela Christine

[Margo]

To give you an idea on how social hunting and gathering tribes were..  They compared the Abiriginy (sp?) week to a regular joe blow's week in the US.  

The Abiriginy worked two days out of the week, because they were so proficient at finding food and socialized the rest of the week.  Sitting around playing games and gossiping.  

Compare that to your normal work week.  Heh does sound attractive.

But you factor in no health care, no security for bad seasons, having to keep low populations, rival tribes viaing for your territory (roughly 26 sq miles per tribe), etc...  not so attractive.

Ya know I've been talking about the hunter gatherers.  But you know I could go the otherway and look at the tribes that were in South America.  Those were the drugged up head hunters.  

They were insane wild about killing and tribes would go hunting heads nightly.  It was a right of man hood to take your first head at around the age of 13 yrs old.  

The Spanish tried to colonize in the teritory of the head hunters (can't remember the name of the conquistador who tried).. but his well armed, army, to include calavry litterally didn't stand a chance against the drugged up tribes when they banned together to take the spanish out.  (I think they might have been loosely tied together by a leader at that point).

I'd hate to see even a small army of drugged up Gith at Allanak's door.  That'd be a tough fight.

In another thread, they talk about how nice it is up near Tulluk.  Wouldn't be too far fetched to see the GIth migrate up that way for better hunting and foraging ground, they might even start farming, which would make them more docile.  With farmers, they would have a hugh increase in food stores which encorages bigger populations.  MOre people, more hands to help farm.. more food..  thats how tribes become towns and eventually leads to your first formal "governments" be it cheiftain, coundcil of elders, or eventual lord & kings.

Hmm..  maybe the doped up Gith wouldn't attack Allanak at all, maybe they would be kncocking on Tulluks door..  thats'd be a surprise!

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Though possible, it would be unlikely due to the woods being the habitat of the halflings.

[spawnloser]

What does having to "keep" up with runners have to do with anything? Most tribes wouldn't be running everywhere.

While PC elves may run non-stop, I doubt that most entire tribes spend every day on the run.

Desert elves do run everywhere.  They are nomads that follow the animals and plants...and the most efficient form of travel for them is to run, so why use any inferior method?  If you are healthy, it is expected that you keep up with the tribe.  If you are not able to do so and fall behind, or some other more ghastly fate, than you were not meant to.

[Angela Christine]

Desert elves do run everywhere.  They are nomads that follow the animals and plants...and the most efficient form of travel for them is to run, so why use any inferior method?  If you are healthy, it is expected that you keep up with the tribe.  If you are not able to do so and fall behind, or some other more ghastly fate, than you were not meant to.

I see.  So you believe that every single desert elf tribe follows that hard-line philosophy?  Every tribe that lives in the tablelands, every tribe that lives in the grasslands, every tribe that lives in the southlands?

You believe that elven infants, toddlers, thrid trimester pregnant females, the poor bastard that got gored by a carru, the venerable elders, and the shamen with the game leg all run acrross the desert at top speed all day long?   And that they do it while carrying all of their tents, rugs, cushions, blankets, jugs, dishes, fetishes, heirlooms, escru, barakhan Lizards and other domesticated food and pack animals?  Those animals certainly couldn't keep up with running elves, so they will have to be carried.

When they travel long distances most elves run, but a large chunk of most elven tribes will stay in the same "space" for days or weeks at the time, some tribes even have permanent camps with walls and permanent buildings (for example the Blackwing).  It just isn't sensible to carry and entire village encampent on every hunting trip.  It doesn't make sense to put your small children at risk by hauling them along when you go raiding.  Stealth is impossible when you are dragging squaling children and gibbering animals along with you.

A few tribes will be so close to extinction that they can not afford to keep any animals, and they only have the resources to support the adults of childbearing age and a very few of the heartiest elders and children.  They are so desperate that they concentrate all of their attention on surviving for today, with no thought for preserving their past or building for their future.  But those tribe will be the minority, within a few decades they either become more prosperous or disappear entirely.

Elves make up nearly half the population of the known world (there is only one race of elves) so it is absurd to say every tribe is the same.  They are suspicious of all outsiders, especially other elves, but that doesn't mean they are all xenophobic.  They are arrogant, but that doesn't mean they feel the need to destroy everything they see as inferior.

Angela Christine

[spawnloser]

So you believe that every single desert elf tribe follows that hard-line philosophy?

I didn't say that.  I simply asked why would you walk when you could get there faster and with less fatigue by running?

You believe that elven infants, toddlers, thrid trimester pregnant females, the poor bastard that got gored by a carru, the venerable elders, and the shamen with the game leg all run acrross the desert at top speed all day long?

The infants, toddlers, third trimester females...no.  Perhaps I should have said an adult in normal health?
Everyone else?  Yes.  It is an ingrained philosophical ideal in the desert elves...if they are a healthy adult and are unable to keep up with the tribe, they would be ashamed and wouldn't want to keep up with them.

And that they do it while carrying all of their tents, rugs, cushions, blankets, jugs, dishes, fetishes, heirlooms, escru, barakhan Lizards and other domesticated food and pack animals?  Those animals certainly couldn't keep up with running elves, so they will have to be carried.

I think you have been living in the modern day for far too long.  I could carry all I need to live on my back all day long.  Now, if I was an elf, I'd have to assume that I could run all day long too.

When they travel long distances most elves run, but a large chunk of most elven tribes will stay in the same "space" for days or weeks at the time, some tribes even have permanent camps with walls and permanent buildings (for example the Blackwing).  It just isn't sensible to carry and entire village encampent on every hunting trip.  It doesn't make sense to put your small children at risk by hauling them along when you go raiding.  Stealth is impossible when you are dragging squaling children and gibbering animals along with you.

I thought I'd address this all at once.  Yes, they will sit still for a while...they can't cook while running.  Semi-permanent places to stop in at?  I'd assume this as it just makes things easier.  Think along the lines of Native Americans...They carried everything, but still had semi-permanent stuff to go to.  Children and animals?  Travelling between two different places and hunting are two different things...I never said nor would suggest that infants and pack animals would be brought on a hunt.  I never said that elves hunt all the time.

Elves make up nearly half the population of the known world (there is only one race of elves) so it is absurd to say every tribe is the same.  They are suspicious of all outsiders, especially other elves, but that doesn't mean they are all xenophobic.  They are arrogant, but that doesn't mean they feel the need to destroy everything they see as inferior.

I think you're reading into what I said a lot more than I intended.  I made a general comment about one aspect their philosophy.  I didn't expect something that sounds as derisive as your comment seems to me as a response.

[Margo_not_logged_in]

If nothing else, this thread shows tha tDester Elves are very dynamic resourse.  (and a large one if 1/2 the known world population).  

I bet you can see them most anywhere under any circumstance out side of the cities..  or eventually will.

[creeper386]

Well, theres a problem. When traveling, at any time, the whole tribe of elves would NOT be running. WHY? They'd leave behind all the children, any old people, they'd leave behind the pack animals, and the elves watching over them and leading them.

I think you have been living in the modern day for far too long. I could carry all I need to live on my back all day long. Now, if I was an elf, I'd have to assume that I could run all day long too.

Right there you said you can carry all you need to live? Well are you also carrying everything everyone else in your tribe needs to live that can't carry it themselves? Most the tribes I've seen have at least semi-permenant dwellers they carry with them. They have pack animals, alot probably have some form of food from animals, although some of that could be just extra pack animals. They have things for the children(I'm thinking along the lines of a healthy tribe that has children. As if they cast out or kill their children they aren't going to be a tribe for very long). These pack animals are there to carry the extra stuff. Although a single elf may be carrying what HE needs to live off of, theres still going to be more then that.

Now, if elves were ALWAYS running, they'd leave alot of stuff behind that the TRIBE as a whole needs to live on. Kanks can't keep up with elves at a run. Most the time a half-elf can keep up with a kank, I'm guessing an elderly or injured desert elf might have a chance to keep up with a kank compared to keeping up with a healthy running elf. And healthy elves that are carrying children or pregnant, or just packing alot more stuff then normally because there wasn't enough pack animals, probably would have better chance keeping up with a kank as opposed to running.

Ya ya.

[Angela Christine]

If nothing else, this thread shows tha tDester Elves are very dynamic resourse.  (and a large one if 1/2 the known world population).  

Perhaps I wasn't clear.  Elves make up nearly half (probably 35%-45%) of the population, but that is all the elves.  Most of those elves probably live in the cities, because most people live in the cities.  Despite that city elf and desert elf are different choices at character creation, there is only one race of elves.  The differences between them are due to lifestyle, not genetics.  If a city elf infant was somehow seperated from his tribe and raised by desert elves, then it would have all the characteristics of of a desert elf.

Angela Christine

[X-D]

The funny thing is here on earth, in history and even now, plain old simple weak slow earth humans. We have quite the history of nomadic tribes and even nations, many of them moving easily from place to place, 20-50 miles in a day carrying everything the own without pack animals.

Now, elves, they are built to move about easily and I doubt if they would be any different then any nomadic tribe in human history, they would have many 'special' items, some that would be one thing when camped and another when moving, they would not be afraid to leave un-needed/unwanted/broken items behind or items that could be easily remade.


Moving about with the elderly, children sick injured or people in late pregnancy...

Again, lets take human history/tribes and such, being willing to discard of un-needed or broken items also includes tribemates not able to keep up or be carried easily, though for the sick or injured they would often delay moving for a bit giving them time to heal....pregnant, even in american history stories of settlers wives giving birth on the move without a break then continuing on walking are far from rare. And how much does an elven baby weigh at birth anyway? Likly since elves are made for the desert, have evolved for it, an elven child may be half the size of a human at birth so an elven woman even late in term would not be truly bothered by the load, as long as she did not have to carry to much else.
This type of attitude would also assure that the race would continue to evolve to be better and better at desert survival...elves more then most races would hold the "only the strong survive" and "swim or sink" in hi regard, maybe even instinctual.


Oh, on the running as a complete tribe on the move, maybe not, likly a good trot/jog, again many tribes in human history that travel in such a manner.