Duskan

The Duskan are therianthropic shifters notable for possessing physical features resembling those of nocturnal and crepuscular animals. They are native to the Shardscape realm of Rhaddin's Rest, where they were once known for their innate affinity for and deep spiritual bond with nature. In their early history, the Duskan were widespread across the north of the realm where they lived in communes that sought to preserve and cultivate the environment around them.
Originally comprising roughly a third of the realm's native population, their numbers on Rhaddin's Rest have been steadily declining since the rise of the Astarum and the theocratic expansionist confederation of the Agrian League who have waged holy war on the non-Vastaya ethnic minorities of the plane. Only a handful of settlements remain in the north, with most Duskan having fled to the relative safety of the Undercity Berenok, or even further to the adjacent realm of Ztavsk.

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

Although most Duskan will take offense to being compared to the beasts that seem to share their appearance, there is one thread of commonality between the Duskan and the animals to which they are most often compared: they are, by nature, nocturnal. When Vastaya settlements are beginning to wind down for the day, Duskan settlements are only just coming alive.
By virtue of their inverted circadian rhythm, the Duskan claim a greater affinity to night. They view the darkness as a companion—a shroud to protect them from those who would do them harm. Before the campaign of genocide waged against them by the Agrian League, the stars were an important part of their spirituality, though they have since culturally severed that spiritual bond after what they viewed as a profound betrayal.
Of all the stars that shine in the night sky of Rhaddin's Rest, there are only a handful that the Duskan still revere. Foremost among these is the crimson star thought to be the bonded star of Agarem, who built and nurtured Berenok, giving the Duskan a refuge from the ruthless slaughterers and slavers of the Agrian League.