The youngest off-shoot of the Merro Elves, the Beastkin are in many ways quite similar to their ancestors within The Great Forest with the most obvious difference between them being their exclusive affinity towards beasts as opposed to other aspects of the natural world. While this began as a simple difference in the presentation and powers granted by their bond with the Wood, as generation passed those with animal affinities began to diverge further and further from their ancestors in both abilities and culture until eventually they came to consider themselves wholly separate beings, though their social ties with one another remained close until The Shattering. Practically speaking the chief difference between the two peoples lie within the manifestations of their affinities, with the Beastkin typically taking on the forms and features of animals native to the lands in which they dwell, as well as typically having the ability to transform into the creatures which they resemble: a trait not typically possessed by Merro Elves.
Culturally, the Beastkin tended to be far more out-going and inquisitive than their forest-bound cousins and during the time of the Godswar it wasn't uncommon for Beastkin to leave the bounds of the Great Forest and venture out into the world in order to establish ne lands and lives, though it was a difficult choice for many as those who left would never be able to return. As time passed however, more and more Beastkin departed the Great Wood and between than and the growth of the families they established it wasn't long before those who dwelled outside of the wood came to outnumber those who still lived within, though their population still remained no where near the size of the human settlements they typically lived alongside.
When The Shattering came, the Beastkin, already a distant people, became scattered across the new Realms and often faced hardships as they suddenly became an extreme minority amongst largely homogenous populations. The most notable Beastkin communities lie within the realms of Terra and Verden, where both have had their share of difficulties in the years past. In Terra however, the Court of the Beastkin has risen to a new-found prominence in recent years under the leadership of their young King Lenseran Kisurai. After decades of being forced to live at the fringes of society in hiding from the hostile humans who dominated Terra, the breaking of the curse which bound the realm allowed them to emerge from the shadows and enter into a partnership with the new leaders of humanity focused on reforming Terra into a home for all, magical or not.
Trivia
Beastkin who were born within the Realm of Terra after the Shattering possess a slight resistance to the magic-nullification properties of Iron, as they have been forced to adapt to survive within the incredibly Iron-rich Realm.