Setting Ideas - Calderan Desert Society

So the elves on the continent of Caldera have things to consider when they think about living.

First of all, the Efreet that used to be the top dogs of the major landmass and some of the surrounding islands left in a big hurry. Obviously this means two things: there's already a large number of splendidly built cities that range from being in tip-top shape or smoldering ruins. Secondly, they left a lot of swag in the ruined cities. These were the spots where they left too quickly to make a thorough pass to grab all their possessions, leading them to demolish the area in the hopes that they'd also scorch their junk.

Secondly, those elves who were around while the Efreet still run things really don't want to give up all the things they claimed once their former masters ditched this plane. The Efreet ran a tight ship; all of the elves were created as slaves to do their bidding while they went around and partied. Once they were left without any instructions from their masters, the elves either left the cities out of contempt for their former lifestyle and went on to establish the Trader communities, or just kind of... filled the void. They moved into the buildings and ran things just as they had before, except this time the resources they produced went to them instead of some flaming tart who granted wishes.

In general terms, the elves in the desert don't much like anyone not from a family that was established after the Efreet's exodus. They've decided they have a good thing going with the way things were and are being run, so they don't much like some upstart population messing things up. Things in the elf-owned lands in the Shifting Wastes are run strictly, with a lot of people being born into their occupation. The people who worked in the capital buildings during the Efreet rule stayed in those buildings are now like royalty. The people who were quick enough to drop their old work and move into an abandoned house are counted among the elves as nobility, the Cloud caste. Below them is the Wind caste, the skilled merchants or artisans who make all the silks, paper and other neat items to spread throughout the small network of cities. Below the Wind caste, is the Sand caste. They work the fields, keep things tidy, all the typically "common" work. The elves have also taken to the cruel practice of their masters and acquired slaves. These unfortunate saps come from the desert and even beyond, from faraway planes, like the plane of Air or the plane of Water. (Things get hot in the desert.)

Those elves who weren't dicks went off to form bands of traders hocking all the crap they stole from their old masters to each other and the humans from the jungles to the north and coasts. All these disparate tribes of merchants and traders eventually formed a main group of guilds and communities called simply the Traders. They sailed to the Sand Dollar isles to establish a permanent capital for their network of societies and towns built around ruined temples or resources (Sandmetal deposits, mines, oases, etc.). The Traders like pretty much everybody, except those few especially haughty elves from the old Efreet cities. Living in their company isn't bad, especially since they always seem to have some neat trinket that's exactly what you were looking for.

Any suggestions or thoughts on how I can change these two desert peoples work better as ideas? They just seem so bad when I write it down or type it up.
Eh. Whatever. As always, comments welcome.

Inspiration:
This is something that would look quite like the northern border of the deserts in Caldera.