The Ritual to the Ancient Ones
The Ritual to the Ancient Ones is a loose term. There are a good number of these still existing, and in theory different, but still following general precepts.
History
The ritual covers general precepts set out long ago in the mists of time by early humanoids that worshipped the Star Gods. At this time they were also referred to as the Ancient Ones, hence the name. Initially these rituals followed a set path that the worshippers would follow, along with variants & slight divergences depending on the Star God. Many of the rituals involved the summoning of strange unearthly creatures, along with the use of primitive drums & flutes played constantly. Elements of these can still be found in many folk religions around the world, as well as some pagan rituals. Ecstatic rites were also carried out, usually involving drugs, eating abnormal substances & ritualised dancing. Chants & praises of the God was also practised, as well as the use of idols (many very simple in design & some made with strange rocks). Sometimes an avatar or god would appear and grant 'blessings' onto the worshippers. No set time limit was followed, and in many cases the very act of worship warped and twisted the flow of time itself.
Across the eons that followed, many parts of these were changed slightly as other races appeared or rose. This has led to the present day, and most also involve sacrifice and/or cannibalism too. It has to be noted that many of the original ritual variants is meant to be noted in the Necronomicon.
Execution
The ritual starts slowly filled wit slow dancing by the cultists with odd music made with the flutes and/or drums. Eventually through constant dancing that speeds up over time, along with chanting draws the energy of a Star God. After a while, everything slows down, and chanting occurs, where the name of the deity is called, along with any requests made. After further chanting a sacrifice is usually made along with the appearance of an avatar or the deity itself. Sometimes drugs are used at different times and of different types. The whole process also allows the avatar or deity to gain power, and it will regularly give out minor gifts to it's followers. The high priest that is present will lead by example and quite willing to do some atrocious acts to appease the avatar or deity.
Components and tools
Drums, flutes, ritual knife, ritual table, idol. Sometimes a bag filled with air or gas, a fire, a bowl of water, and/or a bowl with earth or rock. A victim is sometimes used too.
Participants
Each is generally led by a single high priest, with one to three lower ranking priests. In some places these appear as everyday people, in others they are high ranking individuals, and likely to be cunning folk or shamans in their community.
Below them are the lay people who act as go-betweens and help to organise & run the rituals. And finally the average worshippers who make up the body of the group. In every way they are cultist compared to the other main line religions.
Observance
Each cult / ritual requires nothing more than a set day to worship & carry out the ritual. This has to be done at least once every calendar year. Each ritual is carried out is done at a specific site, and a bowl or bag with a specific element is to be present too. This represents what god is supposedly tied to.
Stumbled Upon
An old adventurer had initially settled down to the north west of the Black Forest. He built himself a log cabin to spend his last days, and not having any close kin, barely kept in touch with anyone in the major towns & cities nearby. Every two odd weeks he would travel into town to buy bits & pieces that he couldn't make of find by himself. At the same time he kept up with current events at a small tavern near the edge of the town, paying in animal skins & hunted meats. Any extra of these he sold at market. This came a habit and many got to know him, and his stories regaled everyone of his travels far & wide.
After a few months, the townsfolk had heard of where he lived, and queried if everything ever played up near the forest. At this point, he admitted that there seemed to be the odd strange marks near the edge of the forest. Also, he was sure there was a hamlet of some type just south of where he lived, though he could never find it. At the same time he was sure there was at the night of the first full moon a strange chanting coming from the south of the forest, and strange noises, including the sounds of drums & flutes, or at least something different.
As the weeks went on the townsfolk noticed a change in the old adventurer. He seemed more sullen & withdrawn. Also, he seemed to be more weaker, as if he had been losing sleep. He also appeared more paranoid, whispering to himself and glancing at shadows, or movement just out of sight.
Eventually shortly after the Winter Solstice, he never showed. For a good number of weeks he just didn't show. Worried, the local Burgomaster gathered together his notary, and ten militia. He ordered them to go to the cabin of the old adventurer at first light, and check on him, making sure everything was alright. At the crack of dawn, the notary and the militia got ready & rode out on horses.
Eventually they returned, close to dusk, and looking haggard & weary they made straight for the Burgomaster at speed.
When they were shown in to the Burgomaster, they had a tale to tell. Upon arriving at the cabin, they discovered the door had been bust in, and the contents looked as if they had been disturbed, violently. Also, it looked as if there had been a fight with blood on the ground & other fluids that smelled like decaying matter. All around were a set of footprints, and both in & out a set of bipedal hoof marks. These seemed to come from the forest and travelled back.
They couldn't find the adventurer or his trusty longsword, so they followed the hoofmarks. Going down to the forest they found the trail easier as the ground was drier here and had less frost. Travelling in, they found a small barren grove. From there, they had approached the far end of it and noticed a pile of days old branches lying in a heap. The smell was awful, and when examined further, below the pile was the sword of the old man, and the piled remains of him, or what was left of him. Very little remained, and it looked that the majority of larger bones had been cracked open. In front of this pile too, there was a mark on the ground that something had been placed there. What this was they couldn't guess though it seemed to be made of something heavy with a rough squarish bottom.
After a while they heard it, a noise of discordant flutes, and the sound of pipes of some unknown type. These were accompanied by the creaking and breaking of trees & branches. The militia & notary withdrew to the entrance of the grove, but nothing appeared. The feeling of being watched & a tinge of blood on the air surfaced after a while then faded. One militiaman ventured out, and examined the grove further. There were days old footprints & hoofprints all around, completely disordered, and he found in the brush to one side a bowl. Simple & small in design it had what looked like the decaying remains of a small bluish mushroom in it. He had seen it before and swore that it is a type that is toxic in large doses, and gives people 'visions' in small doses. After this they travelled back to the cabin with the remains and decided to place them in the centre of the cabin. They said a quick prayer, and set it alight.
When doing so, there was a shriek in the noise in the fire, as if something was burning. The burning cabin appeared hypnotic to them, and they felt as if they were in the same grove as they had found the remains. This time, they were surrounded by cloaked individual, whose robes were very old in appearance. They danced & cavorted, blowing on wooden & bone musical instruments, tasting strange drinks from small bowls, and being daubed with the hot blood of something freshly killed. The whole time they were aware of something watching, something almost formless, a creature with the legs of a goat, and huge to boot. At the same time they heard a chant; "Shub-Niggurath, the Goat With One Thousand Young." After that, they fled back to the town.
A few days later a number of the militia have started to act strangely, along with the notary. A couple have already disappeared, and one was found wandering in a daze heading to the forest, his mouth stained blue from eating a blue mushroom. Afterwards, all he could mutter was "Shub-Niggurath", and let out a scream & dying on the spot, looking in terror in the direction of the forest.
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