Hagenacht

Hagenacht is an ancient ritual that has been and in some remote places of the world is still practiced. This ritual is dedicated to a hag or a coven of hags that watches over a village or other township, generally, this involves a sacrifice of some kind, which varies on the whim of the hags. The person who is to make the sacrifice will gain a boon or a mark at the end of the previous Hagenact, letting others know what they are about to do for the community.
Those marked enjoy the last of their lives in comfort as others show appreciation by tending to their earthly needs. They are treated like kings, and prisoners as some may try to flee and the villagers would never want to risk the wrath of the hags by letting their sacrifice escape.
The boons for such a ritual are the protection of a village from monsters, disasters, disease, good hunting, and healthy crops. Some believe that children born in the village after a sacrifice will inherit special traits and some are even taken in by the hags.
There is a rarer version of the ritual, one in which the sacrifice doesn't die and instead falls madly in love with the hag or hags and is used to create hagspawn. A hagspawn child is exceptionally rare and is seen as a massive blessing to the village and the hagspawn will rule over the village upon coming of age.

Execution

On the day of Hagenacht, the person to be sacrificed is given a unique blend of drugs mixed into a drink to keep them disorientated, this is the last kindness the villagers can give. There is a farewell party until midnight when a path will open for the sacrifice to travel. During this time the party falls silent and a quiet reverence fills the air, as they wait for the next marked individual to show.