Vial of Inkflies (3.5e Equipment)

Vial of Inkflies: Vials of Inkflies appear just like a normal vial of ink, however it would be a waste of the vials to use them on simple, mundane acts of writing. When a person dips a writing implement into the ink a full tenth of the vial will glob onto the writing point at which time it can be given a description of what that person wishes to know. With a command word of “fly” – in a language that the ink understands – the glob of ink takes the form of a fly and takes off to scout out the designated commands – if it is physically able to access it.

The ink, while in fly form, is generally not noticed to be anything but a fly if it is not closely examined. It is capable of understanding any language it knows and may overhear conversations and examine documents in plain sight. If it is squished it will reform and fly off but it may be destroyed by magical means. If multiple flies are formed from a single vial they can coordinate information so long as they all exist at the same time. A fly may last for 5 hours, during which time it must reach its target, spy, and then return.

Upon returning, it will crash into a piece of paper or page on a book and splatter into a combination of text and illustrations as it deems is the best use of its contents. Any text will be in the language it was directed in unless the person who cast it told it that it understood another language which the ink also knows. A single, standard sized page may be filled by any single fly – they are aware of any other flies that are expected to return when deciding what to confer onto the page.

A standard vial knows one language and higher level vials know an extra bonus language for each point of bonus determined at crafting from its creator’s known languages. A single vial starts with 10 uses.

When recording you have this item, you should record next to each vial which languages it knows. Market:3,758 gp; +1 4,558 gp; +2 6,958 gp; +3 10,958 gp; +4 16,558 gp

Moderate divination;CL 5; Craft Wondrous Item, prying eyes; Cost 1,879 gp, 150 XP, 3 days; +1 2,279 gp, 182 XP, 4 days; +2 3,479 gp, 278 XP, 6 days; +3 5,479 gp, 438 XP, 10 days; +4 8,279 gp, 662 XP, 16 days; Weight: — lb.; Market Price: Varies

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