Protosophism

Protosophism is a little-known and relatively new religion within the world of Rathnir. It is centered around the worship of The Protosophis, a triple deity representing the Three Pillars; Order (Leirus), Chaos (Arcis), and Nothing (Descanis). The religion is commonly attributed to its sole prophet, Pelagius, though there are theories which contest this. Protosophist doctrine generally rejects the existence of other deities, not because it attests that the existence of the Protosophis nullifies any other pantheon but because Protosophist philosophy contends that any so-called gods which can be physically and directly interacted with by individuals residing on the mortal plane are not truly gods, and therefore not worthy of reverence.

History
There is some dispute on the actual origins of Protosophism. Typically Pelagius is credited as the religion's founder. However, text from the Menologion of Pelagius may suggest that Protosophism existed prior to Pelagius' time.

Traditionally:
According to Protosophist tradition, Pelagius, then a farmer, was reaping the wheat of his fields when he noticed an old and dilapidated well just beyond the border of his land. It is said he heard a noise not unlike a cascading waterfall emanating from the well, which prompted him to investigate. Peering into the well, he was seized by a revelation of an alien expanse of empty space. Within this space he saw a number of First-Born, and in their midst he saw a great humanoid figure with three faces sitting in a throne of solid gold. The three faces then split off and became three individuals standing on floating triangular daises. As Pelagius looked into their eyes, he saw scenes of order and calm, chaos and strife, and of an expansive void and true bliss. This event is known as the Revelation at the Well.

Following the revelation, Pelagius returned to his fields and didn't dare go near the well for some time. When he did venture back to the well he found it to be completely dry and empty. He went back numerous times, and every time the well proved to be just a forgotten, crumbing well. Eventually Pelagius concluded that what he'd experienced at the well was something of a divine nature and began interpreting what he'd seen. He dubbed the three-faced figure the Protosophis - roughly "first wisdom" - and named the three faces after what the scenes each displayed represented. He then chose a simple triangle to best represent the nature of the Protosophis.

After Pelagius had created a basic structure for his budding faith, he went into the village which he lived in and began proselytizing to the village-folk. However, they either paid no heed or mocked him as they passed by, dismissing him as having hit his head or delirious from all his time in the sun. Dismayed, Pelagius went home. However, he continued to advertise his religion the following day. After about a week, Pelagius was driven from the village on the basis of him disturbing the peace and was forced to wander the earth.

While in exile, Pelagius developed a treatise on the Three Pillars, the Pistis Pylon, an in-depth explanation on the nature of the Pillars and by extent the Protosophis and Protosophism as a whole. The work is regarded as a defining centerpiece of the religion, and serves as a basis of understanding what makes Protosophism unique.