Shapeshifting not cannonly needed to have Logrus?

[Trevelyan]

So I was thinking about the Logrus and shapeshifting, and was wondering when it's mentioned in the books that shapeshifting is required to traverse/walk the Logrus. And I couldn't find a single entry!

You are quite correct. this is yet another classic example of Wujcik =/= Zelazny.

I'm completely unconvinced by that line about him moving his arms to match the flowing pattern of the Logrus. I can wiggle my arms about without the aid of shape shifting, and from what we see in the books, most shape shifting seems to be a relatively slow process.

[weilide]

You are quite correct. this is yet another classic example of Wujcik =/= Zelazny.

I'm completely unconvinced by that line about him moving his arms to match the flowing pattern of the Logrus. I can wiggle my arms about without the aid of shape shifting, and from what we see in the books, most shape shifting seems to be a relatively slow process.

I'll grant you that the Logrus-Shapshifting connection is debatable but so far as speed is concerned, a lot of shifting seems to be fairly swift to my mind, at least when the shifter is in a hurry -- to the tune of ten to twenty seconds, as in the following example:

“Except maybe a Lord of Chaos,” I replied, as I shifted my awareness to various points within my body. Rough work. The faster you do it the more painful it is.

Again, the rattling of the tin sheet.

“You know what the odds are against a Chaos Lord coming this far to go two out of three with a Dweller?” Scrof said.

My arms began to lengthen and I felt my shirt tear across my back as I leaned forward. The bones in my face shifted about and my chest expanded and expanded....

“One out of one should be enough,” I replied, when the transformation was complete.

“Shit,” Scrof said as I crossed the line.

[RPGPundit]

No way that Oberon would have left the font sitting there.

Unless he didn't just leave it sitting there?
Or unless he laid a trap within it?
Or he knew that its power was a trap?

There's lots of possibilities.

RPGPundit

[charis]

Unless he didn't just leave it sitting there?
Or unless he laid a trap within it?
Or he knew that its power was a trap?

There's lots of possibilities.

RPGPundit

Indeed. If he knew it could drive you slightly bonkers.

[jibbajibba]

Unless he didn't just leave it sitting there?
Or unless he laid a trap within it?
Or he knew that its power was a trap?

There's lots of possibilities.

RPGPundit

In which case he is a bit of a nob because it nearly resulted in the destruction of all reality.

My concern with the font is really its after-the-event addition. From a plot perspective there was no need to relate the Font to Brand's powers. The Keep of the Four worlds is a cool idea and deserved its own power/effect without rehashing the power Brand had shown in the previous series.

I really like the concept that there are power sources in shadow that become the focus of rival factions. I really like the way the Spikards seems to tap into these power sources  and the concept of lines of power extending through shadow. I don't like the fact that Brand's great insight into power seems linked to a simple baptism ritual. I would even go as far as to question the back character idea.

The Black Road is formed because Brand spilled Martin's blood on the Pattern. Dara was the result of a congress between Benedict and the creatures that came down this road. Dara, Martin and Merlin formed a cabal to counter Brand.  This doesn't really fit with Dara's handmaiden Jasra heading off to the font, becoming Brand's concubine and him bathing in the font. just seems to be that Brand would have lined all his ducks up before he launched his grand plan to destroy the universe and recast it in his own image.