Protosophism

Protosophism is a theological school and way of thought within the greater religion of Guhenism. It is centered around the study and comprehension of Guhen, who is also titled as Protosophis (meaning "first wisdom). Pelagius was the founder of the branch, which initially began as a faith independent from Guhenism. Protosophist doctrine, like all Guhenist doctrine, rejects the existence of other deities, but not for the same reason. It does not attest that the existence of the Guhen 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. Out of all well-known gods existing in the worlds of Rathnir and Eldham, Guhen is the only deity which meets Protosophist criteria for being truly divine.

History
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 great humanoid figure with three visible 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. Little did Pelagius know that these three faces were only 3/5 of the known Mortal Faces of Guhen.

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 unknown god 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. The work is also the foundation of Protosophist theology and philosophy.

Merge with Guhenism
In late August of 2021, Pelagius converted to Guhenism on the terms that his theological philosophy be adapted and incorporated into Guhenist doctrine, which was already extremely similar to his own. This was followed by extensive discussions with the Stefani, Hypetikus, and the reviewing of a number of the ancient texts in order to rid Guhenism of contradictory polytheistic elements. After all polytheistic elements deemed outdated and false were purged from the sacred texts, the reconciliation was announced on August 29th. Pelagius then joined the ranks of the Guhenist clergy and assumed control of his theological school.

Doctrine
Protosophist doctrine asserts first foremost that there are no other true gods than the Guhen, and that any who tell you otherwise have been deceived or are deceivers themselves. This is based on the belief that any 'god' which can be directly interacted with by a mortal on their plane of residence is not a god, but merely a being of greater power. Any 'god' which also interacts with mortals through the use of 'messages from the heavens' is also not a true god, as mortals should not be able to understand the language of the divine nor should the divine have to degrade itself so a mortal can comprehend it. Instead, Protosophism believes omens and wordless and abstract revelations to be true divine messages, as mortals can only interpret these and not comprehend them fully.

The world is made up of three different planes of existence: the void, where beings of divine and supernatural natures reside, the mortal plane, where mortal men and creatures of the earth dwell, and the Sweet Escape, where Guhen and those who have fully atoned reside in harmony. The Nether and the End are both classified as belonging to the mortal plane as the creatures which reside there are all mortal and can be interacted with by other mortals.

The Pillars are to be referred to in a very specific manner. For example: Leirus should not be called as "Leirus, Pillar of Law" or "Leirus, He who is Law" as that implies Leirus is a separate being from the Protosophis rather than a figurative personification. The Pillars must be formally referred to by designations which directly correlate them to their representations, such as "Leirus, Law". To imply that the Pillars are separate godheads is heresy.

Rites
The most prevalent Protosophist rite known to the outside world is the rite of initiation. Initiates are presented a chalice filled with a particularly strong drink, possibly tainted with hallucinogens, and asked to drink. The initiate will then walk through a usually unlit or dimly lit corridor, called the "Long Dark", alone, symbolizing a passage through the void-like space from which life originates. The chalice and drink are representative of Pelagius' first revelation, which occurred at a well; "I offer you a taste of the waters of knowledge. Drink, and know". It is from this quote that the chalice which appears on the Protosophist symbol is derived from.

Funerary rites in Protosophist tradition always involve a funeral pyre. This, like the initiation rite, is also based in the belief that all life originates from the void, and so the bodies of the deceased must be returned to the void. This tradition is also based in two superstitions: if a body is buried or entombed with ceremony and respect and the soul which previously inhabited that body happens to see its resting place, a year of bad luck will follow. If a body is buried or entombed without ceremony or simply never recovered, it will become a zombie-like creature called a Pellocanzà, which will come back to torment its relatives and friends.