Inscription is a profession which was introduced in Patch 3.0.2. Inscription allows players to create glyphs, scrolls, Darkmoon cards, vellum and various off-hand tomes. Inscription includes a "gathering" skill: milling. This skill creates base materials from herbs, and is similar to disenchanting and prospecting.
Inscription is taught by various inscription trainers located throughout the world. Prospective scribes must be level 5. Initial training costs 10 copper, granting the Apprentice level with a potential skill of 75.
Base crafting materials are obtained from milling herbs. This makes [Herbalism] almost compulsory if one plans to level Inscription without incurring major expenses, or a gathering alt. Milling creates various pigments, which are in turn used to create inks. Glyphs and scrolls are created from common inks, while tomes and Darkmoon cards require both common and uncommon inks.
Most recipes require various grades of parchment, which are only available from trade goods and Inscription supplies vendors - there is so far no profession which can gather them.
The "meat and potatoes" of Inscription, glyphs comprise the majority of its recipes. Glyphs come in three grades: prime, major, and minor. Each glyph provides a modification to a specific class spell or ability.
Glyphs are learned from trainers or discovered through research or books. Prime and major glyphs up to and including some grand master recipes are learned from trainers. Minor glyphs are discovered through daily Minor Inscription Research, while major glyphs are discovered through daily Northrend Inscription Research. A second set of prime and major glyphs can be learned one at a time by using a [Book of Glyph Mastery], which can be dropped from any Northrend mob. This second set is not limited to daily discoveries, a scribe can use as many books as their pocketbook allows. A few glyphs are also learned from recipes, just like in other professions. A recipe used in Inscription is called a technique.
Each glyph requires 3 common ink and a parchment to create. Glyphs stack to 20 and are not bound, so they can be traded or sold for high prices. Each glyph icon is color-coded to match the class it can be used by.
Darkmoon cards
Scribes are able to create various Darkmoon cards, which players can combine into decks and turn in to Darkmoon Faire NPCs for various equipment rewards. These cards include higher-level cards which were previously only obtained from mob drops, and new lower level cards. High level decks can only be turned in when the faire is in town, but lower level ones can be used to summon an NPC at any time, in any location. All the cards, decks and rewards are tradable.
Scribes can create [Enchanting Vellums] that can hold armor or weapon enchantments (prior to Cataclysm there were various vellums; each kind of vellum did one or the other). These do not bind and can be sold or traded to enchanters, who can then sell enchanted scrolls on the auction house or mail them.
Vellum is a type of paper made with inscription for use by enchanters to store enchants for later use. This allows for the trade and sale of enchantments without the enchanter and client meeting face-to-face. Prior to Patch 4.0.1, different types of vellum were needed depending on the level of the item to enchant or the type of enchantment; now, all enchantments can be applied to a single all-purpose [Enchanting Vellum]. The id for [Armor Vellum] was re-used for Enchanting Vellum and all other types became [Ruined Vellum].
Vellums can not enchant an item in the "will not be traded" slot of the trade window.
Vellums were designed to allow the enchanter to sell enchants via the auction house, mail them to their alts, or other characters on the same server and same faction.
/Patch 4.0.1 (12-Oct-2010): Armor Vellum converted to Enchanting Vellum and all others converted to Ruined Vellum.
Off-hand tomes
This section concerns content that is out-of-date.
Scribes are able to produce several BoEoff hand tomes. Each requires a fairly hefty amount of raw materials. Players should be aware that wielding an off hand item precludes the use of shields, dual wielding, or two-handed weapons.
This section concerns content that is out-of-date.
Master scribes are able to apply permanent augments to their shoulder items, which causes them to become soulbound. Each inscription requires 400 Inscription skill, is learned from trainers, and requires 1 [Snowfall Ink].
Patch 3.2.0 (04-Aug-2009): Added a new [Glyph of Claw] for young feral druids who haven't yet obtained Mangle. Scribes can learn this glyph from trainers. Patch 3.2.0 (04-Aug-2009):Master's Inscriptions increased. Patch 3.1.0 (14-Apr-2009): Added a recipe to trainers for creating a level 70 superior-quality off-hand item ([Twilight Tome]). Patch 3.1.0 (14-Apr-2009): Added a recipe for creating a different level 70 superior-quality off-hand item ([Rituals of the New Moon]). Scribes will find the recipe is dropped from residents of Silverbrook. Patch 3.1.0 (14-Apr-2009): Added around 50 new glyph recipes. These new recipes can be obtained from [Books of Glyph Mastery] found as world drops on Northrend monsters. Reading (and thereby consuming) a Book of Glyph Mastery randomly discovers one of the newly-added recipes. Patch 3.1.0 (14-Apr-2009): Glyph icons have been updated so it is easy to distinguish between classes. Patch 3.1.0 (14-Apr-2009): Players will now learn 3 recipes the very first time they perform Northrend Inscription Research. This does not apply to players who have already discovered recipes from Northrend Inscription Research. Patch 3.0.8 (2009-01-20):Jessica Sellers, a new vendor in the Dalaran Inscription shop, will sell most Inscription inks for the cost of one [Ink of the Sea]. She also sells [Snowfall Ink] for multiple Inks of the Sea. Patch 3.0.8 (2009-01-20): A new recipe for [Glyph of Arcane Blast] has been added to Master and Grand Master Inscription trainers. /Patch 3.0.2 (14-Oct-2008): New Profession: Inscription is available to train up to 375. It is available for those who have Burning Crusade.