Duke Rundrok slowly shook his head as he continued examining the brown powder between his thick fingers. The fine grains slid across his palm like dry sand, releasing a faint earthy scent that carried a hint of burnt minerals.
"No," he replied after a moment of thought, his deep voice echoing softly through the chamber. "I do not know this exact substance."
He paused briefly and glanced at the broken cartridge shell resting on the table.
"But I do know something similar."
Theron Mist leaned forward slightly, sensing that the conversation had reached a crucial point. The faint glow of excitement appeared in his eyes as he waited for the dwarf to continue.
"We possess something called black powder," Rundrok explained calmly. "It is explosive in nature."
He rubbed the powder between his fingers as if comparing its texture with the substance he remembered.
