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

Doctrine
Protosophist doctrine asserts first foremost that there are no other true gods than the Protosophis, 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 focuses on abstract or wordless revelations and omens.

Protosophism can be considered a void religion in some ways, believing that the void (Nothing) is the source of life. However, the void is not the afterlife; a separate plane of existence similar to the mortal plane is. That being said, Protosophism also believes in a cycle of reincarnation, and only those who have broken the cycle are permitted to live freely and immortally in the afterlife.

While Protosophism is relatively relaxed regarding what it dictates adherents can and can't do, it is made very clear that murdering another being with an immortal soul is a sin of the highest order. Allegedly, the victim of a murder will have no recollection of their former life upon their reincarnation, but will inevitably kill their murderer at some point. The vendetta is not limited to the lifetime of the murderer either, and can continue over multiple reincarnations.

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 afterlife, where those who have broken the cycle of reincarnation live free of strife and are never wanting. 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.

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.