A small, sentient pool of magical ink, shimmering in the light, flows along the bookshelf.

An inkling forms when dormant magic sparks to life in a long-unused spellbook. It can take on any form it wishes, although it rarely exceeds a height and width of six inches. It usually chooses the form of a puddle and flows in and around books. It can seep through even the tiniest cracks in its surroundings, making its search for hidden knowledge an easier task.

Wizards' Bane. Inklings possess a wizard's natural thirst for knowledge. Arcane casters must be careful, for inklings are disastrous to find in a wizard's library, craving knowledge and stealing the ink and the knowledge of spells for themselves. Inklings are primarily solitary entities. However, if enough spellbooks or scrolls are stored in one location, a horde of inklings can sometimes form.

Clever Pets. Some inklings have been caught by the wizards they tried to plague. Those not destroyed are kept by such wizards and can be trained to search out a rival's books and bring back knowledge. While not forced by any binding or magical curse, the inklings still follow those they consider their masters, as they crave the acquisition of the arcane their masters provide. As long as the "master" keeps the inkling well-supplied with scrolls and other magical writings, it remains a loyal companion.

Innate Casters. Inklings are naturally in tune with the arcane elements of the world and know the inner workings of spells. Not only can they cast some of the basic spells of wizards, they can also sometimes alter the nature of a spell already cast. This is quite helpful if they are ever discovered in a wizard's abode and need to make an escape.