The Wood Elves of Athel Loren are a reclusive and dangerous people, bound to the ancient forest of Athel Loren in the Grey Mountains. Unlike their High Elf kin, the Wood Elves have turned away from the wider world, choosing instead to protect their sacred forest and live in harmony — and sometimes terrifying symbiosis — with its spirits. To trespass in Athel Loren is to invite a swift and silent death.

The Wood Elves were once High Elves who chose to remain in the forests of the Old World rather than return to Ulthuan after the Sundering. Over millennia, they forged a bond with the forest spirits of Athel Loren, becoming something neither fully Elven nor fully of the forest. They have repelled every invasion of their woodland realm, from Bretonnian crusades to Chaos incursions, and their memory of these conflicts runs deep.

Wood Elf armies are masters of ambush and guerrilla warfare. Glade Guard archers are among the finest in the world, loosing volleys from the forest shadows. Wardancers and Wildwood Rangers excel in close combat, while the terrifying Tree Kin and Treemen bring the wrath of the forest itself to bear. Waywatchers are legendary scouts and assassins, able to move unseen through any terrain.

Wood Elf culture is cyclical and tied to the seasons of Athel Loren. The Elven lords and ladies rule in partnership with the forest spirits, and the line between the two has blurred over centuries. The Asrai — as they call themselves — celebrate the Wild Hunt, the dance of the seasons, and the eternal cycle of growth and decay. They have little interest in the politics of the outside world, except when that world threatens their forest.

• ✦Athel Loren — the sacred forest, heart of the Wood Elf realm
• ✦The Oak of Ages — the ancient tree at the heart of Athel Loren, source of the forest's power
• ✦Laurelorn Forest — a smaller Wood Elf enclave in the Empire's north
• ✦The Wildwood — the dark heart of Athel Loren, where the most ancient and dangerous spirits dwell