Dwarves

Even dwarves themselves have contradictory myths and theories about their own origin, but most often the first dwarves are said to have been created deep in the bowels of the earth by their creator gods Morrduin Fatherhammer and Karlinde Earthmother. In Chronan during the Steaming Age, this myth is considered paganism and anathema to the Gods of Time and Order.
The average dwarf stands somewhere between the height of humans and halflings, roughly 3,5 to 5 feet (100 to 150 centimeters) tall. They are often as broad as they are tall, though, with stocky or muscular features. They are also recognizable by their pronounced hairiness, often manifesting in long, thick beards regardless of sex. Many dwarves, especially female, that live among other species prefer to shave or trim their facial hair, though.
Dwarves are known to be extraordinarily sturdy and resistant to sicknesses, so they often live their natural lifespan of 500 years. A dwarf is considered to be an adult as soon as their beard starts growing, which happens in their teens, and from then on is expected to partake in the high work ethos of their society. Dwarves make excellent, even masterful, crafters and builders due to their diligence, perseverance and durability, and many architectural wonders of the world have been made by dwarven hands.
Dwarven communities were not the fastest to adapt to the technological advancement of the Steaming Age, for they have always valued manual labor and hard work, but even they could not deny how much faster and more efficiently they could achieve their grandiose projects with steam engines and automated machines. Coming into the current age, even the most remote dwarven mines and quarries utilize steam technology.

Subspecies

Traditional dwarven societies are secluded and borderline xenophobic, which has kept their genetics unchanged for an immeasurable time. The differences in the species are mostly determined by the natural habitat of the various tribes: the paler mountain dwarves, the more tanned hill dwarves and the grey dwarves who rarely venture outside their deep abodes. Dwarves with mixed-species relations quickly lose their genetic features, but especially hairy and sturdy humans and halflings are often rumored to have dwarven blood in them. Dwarves and Elves rarely mingle, their cultures and habitats being nearly polar opposites from each other.

Mountain Dwarves

Chronan is a mountaineous continent, and there are many ancient dwarven citadels hidden within the mountains of the Brasswall Range and especially The Skyward Peaks. Most famous of them is Aerdale, an 8000-year-old fortress spanning an entire mountaintop and known for its gem mines. The dwarves living in these mountains pride themselves as the original dwarves, though this is contested by their grey dwarven cousins. Several tribes still worship the old dwarven pantheon in the privacy of their mountain homes, although Golden Elethrain has risen as the main deity by the influence of The Order. In recent times, some tribes have migrated into the capital cities of Chronan, especially Reignstone and Copperhaven.
Mountain dwarves are acclimated to the frigid heights. Their beards and hair grow especially long, ranging in natural colors of black, brown and red. Their skin is often pale, with ruddy cheeks and noses. Most tribes are involved in the mining and smithing business of precious ores and metals, and are thus very well-off. The cultural attire includes jewelry and adornments made of gold, silver, copper and colorful gems.

Hill Dwarves

The dwarves that live outside their original underground birthplace are known as hill dwarves. Contrary to their name, they rarely live inside hills, and have adapted into other societies and life in the big cities the best, although they still prefer the company of other dwarves. Hill dwarves are especially populous in the states of Czenova, Magnapolis and Parcivale.
Due to their lives spent out in the open, hill dwarves have developed darker complexions, and their hair is softer and shorter than that of the other subspecies. Hill dwarves like to trim, braid and decorate their facial hair in ornate ways, and some even dye their beards with vivid colors. Many of these dwarves have kept the species natural interest in crafting and precious metals, and are working as artisans, smiths and merchants, although hill dwarves aren't that tied to their cultural ways of life.

Grey Dwarves

The most isolated and least populous of the dwarven subspecies, the grey dwarves of Chronan live deep in the Netherspan, and few have ever seen sunlight. Although they sometimes interact with mountain dwarves and other species of their subterranean home, such as drow elves and deep gnomes, they live in their own communities where outsiders are not welcome.
Grey dwarves have ashen skin and their hair is coarse and black or grey. Their eyes are pale and adjusted to seeing in complete darkness. They live as hunters and gatherers, and have no moral qualms to exploit the work of other species. Some that venture outside their communities make a living as thieves and assassins. They prefer to be called by their dwarven name, duergar, even when speaking common.
The grey dwarves have a reason for their seclusion, for they have developed a strong connection to chaotic energy. It is not known how this happened, or if it was even connected to The Fellstar cataclysm, but most of them possess various innate magical abilities such as turning invisible, growing or shrinking in size, or excreting venom. There are some tribes, such as the viled Derro, who have been so infused with chaos that they are considered Mutants. These abilities have made the grey dwarves feared and persecuted by other species, especially those that live under the rule of The Order.

Dwarf-orcs

Although commonly called just half-orcs, the offspring of an orc and a dwarf can be discerned by their stocky build and coarse hair. Although very rare, this union of genetics results in a muddy, brown-green skin and prominent tusk-like teeth jutting out of the corner of their mouths. These individuals are shunned by dwarven societies, and in dwarvish language they are mocked as golthar, "boar clan". Among orcs, though, they are revered for their sturdiness and ferocity.