The Order of Etheria (pt. 2)

Kaleb is often considered the eldest sibling within the Order. It's only fair; he was created first and is by far the most mature of his siblings. A certain kind of level-headedness and wisdom comes with being the Keeper of Graves, and Kaleb has always carried that weight on his stoic shoulders without complaint. 

His duty to the dead and dying is not a glorious one. He is not as flashy and beloved as the others. His followers are few but devout. However, the task is not as grim as it may seem. Others will see deathbeds, weeping over graves, and cold, still bodies in his line of work. Kaleb, though, sees comfort and peace that is owed to those who have lived their lives and the ones they leave behind. The duty of the Grave Keeper is one of kindness, patience, and empathy that Kaleb worries mortals would otherwise lack. 

To mortals, Kaleb is the reassuring hand of a father in times of grief. To his brothers and sisters, Kaleb is the patient listening ear with advice to spare. The other gods turn to him often, seeking his wisdom and gentle, guiding hand.

Kaleb was the first to fall. It was only a few days before the others would join him, but in those days, no god could be comforted while their older brother's whereabouts remained unknown. It was as though the compass had lost its north. Some consider his disappearance the first of many dominoes to fall in the banishment of the War Bringer. After all, Kaleb's calming presence could have pulled Liam from the edge, or at least eased Etheria into a new age with some final words of advice before vanishing all the same.

The traditions of the Grave Keeper live beyond Kaleb's time, though never quite the same without their first father to hold their hands through such brutal work as watching mortals die time and time again. His temple is still standing and his practices still preached. Still, the Mourning Priests yearn for a time when their leader could not die and would never be mourned. It's truly a shame that they had to process the grief of their god both losing his life and the lives of his family without Kaleb's guidance.