The Elders, also referred to as the Red Rakata, comprised a Rakata tribe. They descended from the Priest Caste of the ancient Rakata during the later years of the Infinite Empire.
On Lehon, Rakatan civilization experienced a rapid decline. Warlords used weapons of mass destruction to devastate the planet's surface. Most Rakata were compelled to seek refuge underground. The Elders were the only ones who remained on the planet's surface, protected by their ancient temples and enclaves.
During the Jedi Civil War, which occurred 20,000 years following the Infinite Empire's demise, the Elders endeavored to utilize ancient technology to re-establish order and preserve the ancient knowledge and traditions of the Infinite Empire. They were in constant conflict with other violent Rakata, such as the Black Rakata, and they feared their rancor beasts.
The Elders' aim was to destroy the Star Forge to finally move on from their violent history, but a problem arose. They could no longer access their own Temple of the Ancients, the central repository of their accumulated knowledge and the key to accessing the Star Forge, because they had lost their connection to the Force.
The arrival of Darth Revan and Malak in the system presented the Elders with an ideal opportunity. Revan promised to destroy the Star Forge and entered the temple, but he betrayed the Elders' trust and seized the space station for his own use.
However, Revan returned three years later and atoned for his betrayal. Suffering from amnesia, he was brought before The One, the leader of the Black Rakata, who sought his assistance once more. But when he finally located the Elders' dwelling, they informed him of the One's atrocities. Consequently, he refrained from slaughtering them and, recognizing what was 'good', sided with the Elders. This angered the One, who attacked Revan, but he, along with the rest of the Black Rakata, were all killed.
The Elder priests deactivated the shields of the Temple of the Ancients, granting Revan access to its secrets.
Revan supported the Elders in their efforts to regain their lost Force sensitivity, which would eventually enable them to rejoin the galactic community.
The player has the option to remain loyal to the One and eliminate the Elders, which results in the Black Rakata deactivating the Temple's shields. Even after making that choice, it is still possible to subsequently eliminate the Black Rakata. Another possibility is to align with the Elders, but then return to them after succumbing to the dark side. Informing the Elders that you have returned to the Sith will cause them to turn against you, and you can then eliminate them to gain dark side points.