Start with the profile, not the character
For Java, the checked project is Verity JE. The current public records include the Modrinth 6.0.0-beta file `verity-6.0.0.jar` under version `5ech0sTo`, and the stable `verity-5.7.3.jar` route under CurseForge record `8461257` and Modrinth version `yAt0wv1Z`. Both routes are for Minecraft 1.20.1 Forge at this check. The older `verity-3.4.1.jar` NeoForge route exists for Minecraft 1.21.1, but it should be treated as a separate legacy branch because the project warning matters more than the bigger game version number.
The practical first session is simple: create a clean Forge 1.20.1 profile, run it once, close the game, add the selected Verity JE file and required dependencies, then open a new disposable world. Do not bring old shaders, optimization stacks, horror modpacks, voice dependencies, or copied configuration into this first test. If the game cannot reach the menu, the problem is the profile, loader, dependency, or Java runtime, not the way you talk to Verity.