This is my version of the Fixed Logrus. It's intended as a companion to
the version of Broken Pattern from _Shadow Knight_, but it doesn't have to
be used that way. The style of presentation is meant to be similar to that
used in the rulebook. 

FIXED LOGRUS INITIATE [10 Points]
Attribute Tips For Fixed Logrus
   There are no Attribute requirements.  Psyche is useful for finding the
stable part, and Endurance is useful in surviving it.  Shape Shifting and
Sorcery help one traverse it, thought for different reasons; Shape
Shifting lets one traverse it without looking for the stable part and
Sorcery may help one find the stable part. A character with Human level
attributes may attempt to traverse it. 

   One becomes an Initiate of the Fixed Logrus by waiting for the
unchanging part to appear on the surface and leaping upon it.  Often, a
would-be Initiate has to wait for days for the stable part to appear, to
make sure it really _is_ the stable part.  Riding on this stable part, as
a sort of "crutch", even someone who is not a Shapeshifter can traverse
the Logrus.  Miss it, and the Fixed Logrus eats you alive, spitting out a
chaos creature of its own creation, or perhaps merely a mangled corpse, or
nothing at all.  Often, even if one can find the stable part, the Fixed
Logrus kills you.  Like the Broken Pattern, only ten percent of those who
attempt it succeed, and not necessarily the "strongest". 
   Shapeshifters can negotiate a Fixed Logrus without waiting for the
stable part, but the chances of surviving (especially for those with Human
level attributes) is the same.  Shapeshifters can greatly increase their
chance of survival by riding the stable part; this increases the chance
of survival to about 50 percent. 
   At the basic level, the Fixed Logrus cannot be used to traverse Shadow. 
The Tendrils it produces are too weak.  Its main advantage is in giving
Shadow sorcerers something on which to hang spells. 

The Madness of the Fixed Logrus
   Due to the fixed, unchanging portion of the Logrus, the madness caused
by a Fixed Logrus is not as deep or as powerful as that of the full
Logrus.  In general, it shows itself as new quirks in the character's
personality, although it may, under great stress, turn into the sort of
blackouts and delusions caused by the full Logrus, although such symptoms
will always leave some part of the character's mind untouched, such as
one's sense of humor or one's feelings toward family, as the GM feels
appropriate for that particular Fixed Logrus.  In general, the larger the
Fixed portion, the less madness the character will suffer. 

The Mark of the Fixed Logrus
   As mentioned earlier, non-Shapeshifters may traverse the Fixed Logrus. 
However, the shape-bending powers of Chaos, however diluted, still leave
their mark on the Initiate.  This usually takes the form of a deformity or
some sort of odd physical condition, usually dictated by the character's
personality, as well as the "personality" of the Fixed Logrus (see below). 
For example, a character with a fondness for birds might come out of the
ordeal with fine, oily feathers instead of hair and ugly, hard lips that
seem to form a sort of proto-beak.  Another character, with a reputation
for being a real "vamp", and/or after traversing a Fixed Logrus with a
"personality" oriented toward the parasitic, might come out of the
experience with a real biological need for blood.  In general, the larger
the Fixed portion of the Logrus, the more subtle the change is, though the
effect is by no means "lessened", just less obvious.  Shapeshifters that
traverse a Fixed Logrus do not receive the Mark, and those that learn to
Shapeshift after taking a Fixed Logrus can, with effort, erase the Mark
from their habitual human form, though it may re-appear in the character's
Demon Form. 


_Fixed Logrus Initiate Abilities_
Logrus Tendrils
   The Fixed Logrus, just like the full Logrus, can create tendrils that
allow one to search through Shadow for an object of desire.  However, a
Fixed Logrus is incapable of searching more than a couple of Shadows
beyond the one the Logrus-user is located in, and its tendrils are too
rooted (by the frozen part) in the user (and his or her location) to do
"reverse summoning", making the Fixed Logrus Initiate (barring the use of
other Powers) Shadow-lame. 
   Also, the fixed, unchanging part of such a Logrus gives it a certain
"personality", meaning it is more likely to find certain kinds of objects
than others, sometimes ignoring requests for objects it "dislikes".  For
example, one Fixed Logrus might have an affinity for the color green,
refusing requests for objects that don't contain at least a hint of green
(or taking forever to find them) and producing green objects for "generic"
requests, such as an emerald sword every time simply a "sword" is reques
ted.  The larger the fixed portion of the Logrus, the "fussier" it gets
about requests, although the sentience (if any) of a Fixed Logrus is
something to be determined by the GM.  (A Fixed Logrus may _seem_ sentient
to its users because of its "personality", when in fact it might not be,
the "personality" being merely a bias created by the fixed portion of the
Logrus.)
   There is no such thing as a Fixed Logrus Defense; the tendrils are too
weak.

Logrus Sight
   This works just like normal Logrus-sight, except that all perceptions
are filtered through the "personality" of the Fixed Logrus, as mentioned
above.  For example, the Fixed Logrus mentioned above might show
everything as being green, and might show green things as being more
powerful than they actually are.  Another example might be an "optimist"
Fixed Logrus, whose Lens would show hostile magicks or Powers to be less
powerful than they actually are.  The larger the Fixed portion, the larger
the bias.


Logrus Spell Storage
   A Fixed Logrus can "rack" spells like the real Logrus, but the time a
spell takes to "decay" is longer than with the Full Logrus.  However, once
again, the "preferences" of the Logrus tend to determine what spells decay
before others, and whether or not a spell can be woven into the Logrus at
all.  Also, all racked spells may end up with unforeseen, idiosyncratic
side effects, for example, the "green" Fixed Logrus mentioned above might
cause all spells to give off a bright flash of green light when cast. 
Another example would be a "healing" Fixed Logrus that refuses to rack
combat spells, or causes offensive spells to decay faster than others.  As
before, the larger the Fixed portion of the Logrus, the more of an effect
there is on racked spells.  In general, a Sorcerer that is an Initiate of
the Fixed Logrus can greatly enhance his spell storage abilities over that
of a Sorcerer with the full Logrus by playing to the strengths and
weaknesses of the Fixed Logrus in question. 


Different Logrus, Different Quirks
   Initiates of a Fixed Logrus are attuned to one Fixed Logrus only. 
Traverse another and the previous image can no longer be called to mind. 
The old Mark may be erased and replaced with a new one, or it may be
merely changed slightly, or intensified, depending on how the character's
personality has changed since (s)he last took the previous Logrus and how
the Fixed portions of the previous Logrus and the new Logrus differ. 

Advancing Beyond Fixed Logrus
   Like Broken Pattern, there is no one true way to advance beyond a Fixed
Logrus.  Different advancement paths lay open to different characters, and
the paths may be tailored to the campaign. 
   1. Those with the blood of Chaos in them (if needed) may of course go
from the Fixed Logrus to the full Logrus.  (Whether or not the blood of
Amber includes the blood of Chaos is of course up to the GM.) In any case,
this path would require Shape Shifting if the character wants to survive
and an additional 35 points to "upgrade".  The madness of the Logrus
inflicts upon the character may be somehow related to the idiosyncrasies
of the imperfect Logrus it is replacing; an Initiate of the "green" Logrus
mentioned above might discover an irrational dislike and/or fear of the
color green after traversing the full Logrus. 
   2. One can become an Adept of the Fixed Logrus by traversing it again. 
This requires some Endurance and 15 more points to "upgrade" to the higher
level. 
   3. Advancing to another power is another fascinating possibility.  The
part of a Fixed Logrus that is unchanging may have become frozen due to
the influence of another Power, such as Pattern or Trump.  If the GM
decides that this is the case, the 10 points of Fixed Logrus can
sometimes be used as a discount when advancing to the other Power.  This
erases the Image of the Fixed Logrus from the character, of course, and
might or might not erase the Mark. 

ADEPT OF FIXED LOGRUS [25 Points]
Attribute Tips for Potential Adepts
   Psyche is very important for advanced Initiates (Adepts), although
Endurance is also important considering how time-consuming the powers are. 

   Adepts have traversed the Fixed Logrus a second time, spending days
upon the Fixed portion.  They have learned to take advantage of the Fixed
part of the Logrus, and worked it into their use of the Logrus.  Adepts
can do anything an Initiate can, and more. 

Fixed Tendrils
   By calling the image of the Fixed Logrus to mind and waiting for the
fixed portion to appear in all the squirming, the Adept can make Tendrils
more powerful than normal.  This process often takes several days, but
once it is done, the Tendril so created can be used to punch through
Shadow barriers, allowing the Adept to walk through Shadow.  The Adept is
forced to walk through Shadows that contain an element of the Fixed
Logrus's "personality" when using this ability, however; one must use the
fixed portion of the Logrus to "pry open" a crack in Shadow where the
Fixed Logrus has the most affinity, and this means playing to the
tendencies of the fixed portion.  For example, the "green" Fixed Logrus
mentioned above would allow a character to walk through Shadow so long as
green things were in sight.  (Reaching Arden shouldn't be a problem, given
enough time...) This use of a Fixed Logrus is very draining and much
slower than the use of the Pattern or the full Logrus for travel.  Unlike
the normal Logrus, others can follow the character through Shadow,
although not much more than five or ten, given how quickly the "crack"
closes, and they had better be wary of the "persona" of the Fixed Logrus;
armed guards might find it tough to follow an Adept of the "pacifist"
Logrus mentioned above.  Broken Pattern Initiates have an easier time
following the Fixed Logrus user, given their affinity for "cracks" in
Shadow.  Such travel is tougher close to Amber, where Shadow is hard to
manipulate or damage, and near the Courts, where Shadow changes too
quickly to exploit this feature, though Fixed Logrus Adepts who end up at
the Courts often become Shadowmasters, using the Fixed Logrus to make
Ways. 
   Fixed Tendrils, once created, can also search farther and longer than
normal Fixed Logrus tendrils, ranging far into Shadow (almost as far as
the full Logrus), although such tendrils are even more prone to the Fixed
Logrus's "idiosyncrasies".  Considering how long they take to create,
such tendrils are usually only used to look for powerful objects that play
to the Fixed Logrus's "preferences". 
  A Fixed Tendril continues to exist as long as the Adept continues to
concentrate on it.  Both Psyche and Endurance are helpful here, although
in an environment a Fixed Tendril "likes" (one that played to the Fixed
Logrus's "personality") the tendril may take a couple hours to dissipate. 

Shape Logrus Servants
  A Fixed Logrus, either in part or in whole, can be brought to life and
manipulated as a servant of a Fixed Logrus Adept, but only so long as
concentration remains.  In addition, one can separate a Tendril of the
Fixed Logrus, give it a simple instruction, and leave it untended to
perform its duty; such less versatile servants can last for years. 
Servants of a Fixed Logrus have Strength and Psyche equivalent to Human
rank, Endurance equal to Amber rank, and are generally incapable of
Warfare, being defeatable by someone of even Human rank.  Such servants
are heavily influenced by the Fixed Logrus's "persona".  For example, the
"green" Logrus above would only produce green servants, and a Fixed Logrus
from a lizard-dominated Shadow might produce only saurian creatures. 
Such servants are mindless, tending to dissolve when they are attacked by
a superior Psyche.  Usually an Adept may have no more than a couple of
servants around at any given time, although a powerful Psyche will allow
one to create more, at the cost of being more and more unable to override
the Fixed Logrus's "preferences".  Fixed Tendrils, if separated and given
a task, are stronger (GM's discretion) and longer-lasting, but cannot be
given tasks the Fixed Logrus "dislikes". 

Fixed Logrus and Greater Powers
   Initiates of the full Logrus can act as Adepts of any Fixed Logrus they
have traversed, given time and instruction, and can act as an Initiate in
any case.  This might be useful for racking spells that play to a Fixed
Logrus's tendencies, by invoking a known Fixed Logrus rather than the full
Logrus.  Note that the Image of the full Logrus will cause such spells to
decay slightly faster than they would if the character were an initiate of
the Fixed Logrus alone.  Traversing a Fixed Logrus does not overwrite the
full Logrus, and unlike Broken Pattern, an initiate of the full Logrus
cannot allow a Fixed Logrus Image to "cover" the full imprint for disguise
purposes.  An Advanced Logrus master can learn to invoke the image of a
Fixed Logrus upon merely examining it, perhaps even after merely seeing
it being used by someone else.  Whether an Advanced Logrus Initiate can
"repair" a Fixed Logrus by destroying the fixed portion is up to the GM. 
   An initiate of the Broken Pattern can traverse a Fixed Logrus, taking
the Image upon himself, with no problem, since the attribute requirements
are similar.  If the Broken Pattern is created by the influence of the
Logrus and/or the Pattern's influence results in a Fixed Logrus, there may
be a synergistic effect by combining the two, making them both more
powerful, perhaps even powerful enough to challenge the Pattern or the
Logrus as a major Power.  Such an ability would be at the GM's option and
might cost a certain number of points beyond being an Adept of both
flawed Powers, seeing as the whole would be greater than the sum of the
parts. 
   Someone with Pattern can choose to take the Fixed Logrus or can resist
its imprint.  Advanced Pattern initiates can easily find the Fixed portion
with Pattern Lens, and may be able to "freeze" the Fixed Logrus, rendering
it useless, at the GM's option.  What consequences this might have is
again up to the GM. 
   While Trump is an effective protection from Tendrils or other attacks,
invoking Trump while traversing a Fixed Logrus prevents the imprint at the
cost of the character's life, as the character feels not unlike someone in
an electric chair; that "touching high-power wires together" feeling,
times ten, covers the body.  (Or perhaps such an act will destroy or 
damage the Fixed Logrus -- once again, at the GM's option.)


In my campaign, I did not tell my players about the Fixed Logrus, 
allowing me to spring characters that had it on them as a surprise. 
Discovering such a thing somewhere in the Hells is always an interesting 
event, and the different "types" of Logri are up the GM... (My players 
ran into devotees of the Logrus of the Bat.) Because it so so cheap and 
fairly logical (Broken Pattern -- Fixed Logrus), it is an excellent power 
for a PC to gain in play.

	--Kirt "Absynthe" Dankmyer, 8/19/1995

---
Kirt "Loki" Dankmyer -- xiombarg@io.com -- My opinions are my own.
love * Eris * RPGs * Magick * Carroll * techno * hats * cats * Dada * fnord
I waked, she fled, and day brought back my night. --Milton