Meru, the Space Between Stars

One who can number the stars, the Kahalit say, must be all-powerful. On the other hand, the hobbits say that the stars are infinite in number; counting them all is impossible. In the space between those two realities lives a god. How wide is the gap between vast and infinite, and how long the time between eons and forever? Meru, the Space Between Stars, knows that the only way to calculate an infintely-large number is to spend an infintely-long time counting, and they are in no hurry.
Most stories agree that Meru began as a spell to chart the night sky – perhaps for navigational purposes, perhaps to better understand seasonal cycles, perhaps simply to test magic's powers of calculation. Whatever their original purpose, Meru is detatched from it now, but looks at the stars still, content to peer ever-deeper into the blackness of space, calmly charting each point of light and basking in the tranquil emptiness between them.
With their peacful mien, one might expect Meruvan clerics to be welcome (or at least tolerated) in other lands; however, they are often persecuted. Accused of wild conspiracy theories, threatened, spit on, or even beaten – followers of Meru accept it all with a placid smile, which often only further unnerves and enrages their tormentors. Meru is often revered on Glin, however, where their worship sometimes overlaps with that of La, the haabo moon goddess.
As with all of the deities, long exposure to the iterative mind of Meru causes some strange side effects. Powerful Meruvan clerics become so serene that they can no longer muster a strong emotional response to anything; they become passive, lose loved ones, grow sedate in their observations of the universe. It is said that a follower of Meru can be immobilized by throwing a handful of rice at them, whereupon they will be compelled to stop and count each grain; the truth of this is hard to judge, as experienced priests of Meru are fairly likely to be immobile already. As their bodies become hosts to the Space Between Stars, Meruvan clerics seem no longer to age but almost to become ethereal; they usually can't digest food very well, and some find sunlight painful. Such priests often seek hermitages on remote mountain peaks where they can observe the stars – and from which, it is said, they will eventually fade away into outer space.
Colors: Purple, white Alignment: Neutral good Domains: Twilight, Peace