The governing body of the Cult of Veroleem, a religious group controlling the planet of Veroleem, was the Council of Enlightened Elders. Not long after the initial colonization of Veroleem, Kryo Tinwole, a Force Adept, unearthed some ancient Sith ruins and discovered texts detailing the creation of an immortality elixir. Tinwole, after testing the formula on himself and achieving immortality, proceeded to corrupt the other colonists of Veroleem, transforming their leaders into the Council of Enlightened Elders. The secrets of the elixir were shared with the Council by Tinwole, and the elders eventually established their base in New Promise, the primary city on Veroleem. Following the Jedi Civil War, a mining operation supported by the Exchange—a criminal syndicate operating across the galaxy—acquired Veroleem, ignoring the Cult of Veroleem's ownership claims. To remove the mining company from their planet, the Council of Enlightened Elders initiated a lengthy legal dispute, appealing to the Galactic Republic. The Council ultimately prevailed in their legal battle. Nonetheless, this situation drew the attention of the Jedi Order to the Cult of Veroleem, and the Council became fearful that the Jedi would uncover the cultists' immoral actions taken to achieve immortality.