The Circle of Belen, the Light-Giver

Origins

The Circle of Belen is one of the most ancient circles of The Arkivon.
Its origins can be traced all the way back to the Arkivon's creation in 1465.

Milken Clearwode, from Clan Botterfyre, created it after he joined the newly-founded Arkivon.

Milken was very close to Thane Thingor Gremane who set up the Arkivon and The Sanctuary to the positions they are today.
Milken later became the first Steward of the Arkive.

From the start, the Circle of Belen was considered THE circle to belong to and established itself as a centre of power within the Arkivon.

Many other Belenists, as they are commonly referred to, would become Stewards or Raven Seers of the Arkivon in the following centuries.
the Steward of the Arkive is the leader of the Arkivon while The Raven Seer is their second in command. The most two powerful positions within the Arkivon.

Present Day

The present-day Steward and Raven Seer are both long-established members of the Circle of Belen.
Moss Glasstern is the first woman to become the head of the Arkivon. A powerful rod wielder of Clan Botterfyre, she heads her family with a fist of iron.

Her late husband, Sky Glastern, was also a Steward in his time.
Moss picked Kave Boulder a prominent member of Clan Deeryant to be her Raven Seer, five years ago. Two years after he was chosen, Kave's brother, Reiver, married Moss' only daughter, Fountayn.

The Circle of Belen only accepts the scions of the central and southern most powerful clans and/or the most promising office bearers among its ranks.
Who you know is what makes you who you are in the Arkivon.


The rampant nepotism within the Arkivon has become a sore point with some outlying Alven clans. The Eastern clans are particularly suspicious and jealous of the influence clans like Botterfyre, Deeryant, Cobburn and Ravensen hold over the Arkivon, and in turn the country.

Organisation

The leader of the Circle of Belen is called the Ram.
The office bearers' names within the organisation are kept a secret, but most assume that Kave Boulder holds that function at the present moment.

The second in command is the The Sun Seer - a position that mirrors The White Seer (Sanctuary) and The Raven Seer (the Arkivon).

The Sun Seer traditionally oversees the religious aspect of the organisation and probably, the rituals for the god, Belen.

Except from the titles of Ram and Sun Seer, no one is sure of the other ranks within the Circle of Belen.
Due to the large number of Clanbearers among the Belenites, many of its members are themselves Rod Wielders and have the ability to power some of the rods held within the Rod Depository.

This makes the Circle of Belen a powerful martial force in its own right.
Of course, the Arkivon is under the authority of The Thane of Alven and no power rods can be used without their knowledge and authority.

However, in times of a Thane's election, the Steward of the Arkive has sole command of the rods and a sacred duty to protect Alven from its enemies - be it within or without its borders.

Emblems and Corsages

Bunches: Corsage and Boutonniere are worn daily by most Alvenites and carry with them information about their appurtenances and social status.

All Belenists wear traditional corsages to represent their stations within the circle. Among the flowers that make up a Belenist's corsage, there is always a daisy.
The small, dainty flower opens up when the sun shines, and has become a symbol of the power of the sun.

Some corsages do not just have a daisy, but also a much brighter and bigger sunflower, this one often in the form of a gold pin and/or yellow diamonds.
The sunflower represents the sun in its glory and power and is said to be sported by the most powerful and most senior of the circle.

'The Sunflower always seeks the light, and the light always seeks the Sunflower.'
A well-known saying, attributed to Ball Granstone of Clan Seefield. It is said to be a comment on a rival ladder-climbing Belenist.

Rites and Rituals

The rites and rituals of the Circle of Belen are rumoured to be particularly gory.
According to rumours, many goats are still sacrificed to the god Belen during the circle's ceremonies.

In modern day Alven, sacrificing animals is seen as an old-fashioned way to worship the gods, and has mostly gone out of practice.
The circle seems keen to hold on to its brutal traditions, traditions they see as a mark of their legitimacy.

In recent times, a group of young socialites, some of them full members of the Arkivon, have voiced disapproval of such closed, and secret circles and what they see as their abhorrent practices.

This is a recent phenomenon that has sprung from The Enlightenment ideas spreading quickly from the East and from outside the Alven borders.

The young clansmen have formed their own informal circle: The Circle of First Light.
Up to now, their numbers are small, and their allegiance has not yet been questioned by the old guard. Among its most prominent members is Fountayn's and Kave Boulder's own son: Nimbe.