How literally do you take the Spellbook?

I don't take it very literally at all on any of my dudes. Cerwis trained for years with an arms master to learn her way with weapons and how not to die. She's now doing the same to learn how to track and hunt. Her pack also has too much crap in it already.

Reggie goes to Mage school and has a bunch of notes and journals, but water and ice magic comes very easily to him. He just sees how it works and tweaks it from there logically.

Tess's spell book is a combination of her libram, her spell book, and a copy of Lament of the Highborne. It's plated on the outside with glyphs inscribed into the cover, small ribbons are attached to it's spine with wax, each one telling a certain non-spell-related fact, grand master chef, master in weaving and tailoring, etc. Inside her spell books is her list of spells, chants to imbue herself with holy power, songs of healing, and notes on the weapons she's learned.

The Lament of the Highborne is just something she likes to keep close to her.

As Amara "Flamefist" Niall is a warrior, the spellbook as a literal thing doesn't make a lot of sense. However, I do imagine him owning various martial arts manuals, from which he practices maneuvers. His glyphs are located along the shaft of his weapon (for his arms set) and inside his shield (for his protection set), going along with the magical enhancement provided by his gear in all the other ways as well.

For mystical characters, I do see them carrying a spell/prayer book. Though in my highest level one's case (Heidel), he has exhaustively memorized the formulas, so he rarely actually uses the book.

Lirriel would keep a prayerbook, originally a slim neat volume, but currently stuffed with notes. She'd already have memorized most of her common spells, but keep it around for other appropriate hymns and prayers. She'd also likely keep her Alchemical and Herbology (originally an Herbalist, ICly it's still an important skill for an Alchemist) notes scribbled or stuffed inside, along with Tailoring patterns and other healing notes from First Aid. While she has weapon skills maxed in game, ICly she's stopped using weapons and offensive Shadow spells entirely, and never bothered keeping notes on them anyway. Common foreign phrases like one would find in a travel book would likely be scrawled in somewhere. I really don't worry about glyphs much ICly, though those would likely be annotated as well. She does have a very full Cook Book, but that is often left at home, since she's memorized most of it.

Daevra has a spellbook, very neat and business-like. There might be one scrap of paper tucked in between pages where she's doodled high school-ish "I <3 Vasily" style things. Her JC and mining notes would be in her Jeweler's Kit. Her glyphs are likely inscribed along her staff. She also keeps a well-worn dictionary of Common she only rarely looks at these days, or loans to her sister as necessary.

Lormar doesn't worry about guidebooks for his roguish skills, though sometimes he flips through the treatise on Garona's skills and history for a good read. He does keep a battered and well worn copy of Nat Pagle's fishing book on him. He just does his leatherworking and skinning abilities from long practice as well; new patterns might be folded into whatever book he's currently reading until he's got them down. I actually generally keep a fair number of in game book props on him, and should run around to get the "Well Read' achievement sometime (though I think I'll leave the "Higher Learning" to Lirr and -maybe- Daevra >.<).

Alynore's got a prayer book, which also keeps her enchanting lesson notes, first aid notations, and obscure Draenic and Orcish phrases. Like Flamefist, her weapon and shield would be a great place for her glyphs. Engineering schematics go in the toolbox with everything else related to that profession.

Aerella's taken up Inscription and so has a book and scrolls for that. Her own Hunter Manual is going to Cerwis, as she's been doing this long enough that she doesn't need to be told how to do her physical skills. Glyphs would likely be on her weapons. She keeps a manual for home which includes first aid, cooking, and other common tips in it to represent her secondary skills, but she's been a Mom for a while now so doesn't need to check up in it too often.

Lilane keeps her spellbook at home, locked in a box, and placed in a floorboard hidey hole under her bed, given it's disreputable contents. She only levels when there's a holiday event, anyway, and doesn't summon her demons or use spells inside the city walls (aside from the Slaughtered Lamb basement, anyhow). Most of her time is spent at the bank and auction house taking care of her clients' monetary concerns and stored items, so she has a heavy ledger instead.

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Alt chars: Daevra, Alynore, Lormar, Aerella

Artie carries at least three books with her at all times - a tome about the qualities of Arcane Magic given to her by Solectrin Voltas, a prayerbook of the Holy Light, and then some random book she didn't want to leave at home. It could be anything from Essays on the Titans to the History of Tea Plantations in Stranglethorn Vale.

Most of her spell knowledge is in her head and her hands, as it's more of an active manipulation and guidance of raw magic than it is learned incantations and such.  I have no idea about her glyphs; they very well could be drawn into the Nether around her, much like her butterfly ward that keeps her addiction at bay.

Tavlo has no books of any kind on warrior or hunter skills, and her glyphs are all tattooed on her by Cassie.  I think she has little pamphlets put together of cooking, enchanting and alchemy recipies though.  She might have a book of pressed flowers. I hadn't thought of that before, but it's a nice detail and would suit her well. =)

I would think Ineesa would carry some kind of draenic record of mediations on the Light, maybe some kind of runed crystal holographic thing.  I don't think it's a physical book though. 

As far as the literal spellbook of the UI... it's very much a mechanic for me.  I can't imagine someone carrying around a book with directions on how to "Dodge" or tap into their passive racial Will of the Forsaken.  =P

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Just call me Artie, dear.

None. Tawa can't use books. Books use paper. Paper kills trees! HOW HORRIBLE OF YOU ALL, KILLING TREES!

Considering my off hand item is a tome, I would say that a spellbook is literally a part of Shrilinda's character.

Even one of my rez macros has me flipping thru the pages till I find the chapter: How to revive a Draenei and then I read the instructions as if they are a cooking recipie.

Liore's "spellbook" usually only encompasess schematics and recipes for metal. Also maps and notes on the best pathways to take. It also has notes about the degrees his counterweight should be angled on his bow/crossbow for what range of shot, etc.

The spells themselves I see as either literally dipped in poison(the stings and tranq shot), or are triggered by magical focus(arcane shot), or specialized arrowheads(aimed shot, explosive shot).