I always found that dromites, with their insect-like features, would be a fitting race for Dark Sun.
Their small size, similar to halfling’s one, can give them a direct link to the first intelligent race of Athas.
To avoid all the problems concerning the Cleansing Wars, a Champion with the task to kill them, etc., dromites can be developed as a pre-Rebirth race.
Some nature benders could have altered the bodies of some rhulisti, giving them their insect-like features.

Dromites are energy-themed, with their energy ray psi-like abilities, and their resistance. To make them more “Athasian” that trait can be altered a bit, linking them to the four elements. In the Blue Age the dominant element was Water, but with the Rebirth the first dromites may have “linked” themselves to the other elements.

Athasian Dromites are divided in four great clans (Fire Clan, Earth Clan, etc.), and their society now is divine magic based, with the most powerful clerics at the head of each clan (maybe the greatest hierophants are Element Lords).

Their racial traits same as in the Expanded Psionic Handbook, with the following changes

-2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Cha

Chitin: +3 natural armor bonus and resistance 5 to acid (earth dromites), cold (water dromites), fire (fire dromites), or sonic (air dromites)

Psi-Like Abilities: 1/day – control flames (fire dromites), energy ray (sonic) (air dromites), float (water dromites), or stomp (earth dromites). ML equal to 1/2 Hit Dice (minimum 1st). DC is Cha-based

Automatic languages: Common, Aquan (water dromites), Auran (air dromites), Ignan (fire dromites) Terran (earth dromites). Bonus Languages: Entomic, Gith, Jozhal, Saurial.

Favoured Class: Cleric.

Suggestions? Thoughts?

Hades, have you read “Thri-Kreen of Athas”? There’s this secret species of kreen known as zik-chil (if you’ve played in Spelljammer they may sound familiar – Xixchil). So the Thor-Kreen Empire have their own Benders/Shapers (I forget who is who with them) that in my game have altered wandering Halflings into something more useful to the Empire. The Kreen have the advantage of their Racial Memories dating back to the Blue Age when they were island hopping semi-sentient insects hunted down by the Rhulisti. This origin would not have attracted Raajat as the kreen are also a pre-rebirth race (they’ve just gotten bigger with time). Of course I’ve also been trying to alter the Arena’s (shape-shifting spiders) to be more fitting in Dark Sun for use as infiltrators in the Meat-Controlled-Lands.

However there is nothing wrong with your version either.

In my version dromites live in the Anattan Wastes/Sundered Region. But even the “altered by zik-chil” version ties well with Athas.

In your version of dromites, have you used the same racial traits as in the Expanded Psionic Handbook, or have you altered them?

At this point they’re only hypothetical as my group has stayed near Balic so far.