The small town of Ravenswood has a perilous and dark past buried within its long history, only whispered about in hushed tones among the occult fanatics. These whispers spoke of sick and twisted rituals. They say that more than a century ago, when it was only just beginning to prosper as a quaint village, it was the site of a multitude of mysterious disappearances. Villagers would vanish without a trace, leaving only strange symbols carved into the trees and buildings behind. Not even a speck of hair to be found.
According to town legend, it's rumored that the village's founder, Elias Ravenswood, was involved in dark occult practices. It's said that he was obsessed with attaining eternal life and believed that performing forbidden ancient rituals could grant him his wish. Elias gathered a secret society of like-minded individuals who partook in these rituals alongside him within a hidden chamber somewhere beneath the town.
Like most, if not all, rituals, they required sacrifices, and it's speculated that the missing villagers were used as offerings to some darker, more powerful being. It can be said that they were victims of Elias's selfish desires. Eventually, the villagers discovered the truth and, in an angry mob fashion, stormed into his place of residence with pitchforks. But they didn't kill him then and there. The exact amount of time he was locked up is unknown, but one thing is for certain: they tore him apart limb from limb in the village square. Elias's demise is the only fact known to be true, since it was recorded in the records of the village.
With the death of the leader of the society and the destruction of his dark scriptures, the secret society disappeared without a trace. The villagers had put an end to their practices, or so they thought. However, the curse of the rituals lingered, and every few generations, the strange symbols re-emerged from the shadows. Along with their appearance came even more bizarre events.
But that's just a tale made up by the bored townspeople throughout the many decades that've come and gone. Everybody knows that the mob likely killed him over taxation or some other reasonable motive.
Or is it?...