The Eyol-Elta Enigma is a kinetic light sculpture that rationalises the chaotic “Gleam” force into a structured, spherical reality.

It is a digital realisation of the Eyol (the multi-eyed avian watcher of the Different World) governed by -elta (the Yivalese concept of unbending rules or fated outcomes).

In this artifact, the light does not flicker by chance; it follows the fated rules of cellular propagation. As the gliders travel across the curved horizon, they embody the “Whale dues turned as fated” – a result that was meant to be, and then, and now.

Inspired by John Conway's Game of Life and Mango's icosahedron/d20 prompt.

The internal logic treats the sphere as a vertex-connected lattice. In this 20-point dodecahedron net, each node is linked to exactly 3 neighbours.

Seed (Asymmetric Scout):

        ( o )-( o )
        /   \ /   \        'o' = Living Cell (Gleam)
     ( . )-( o )-( . )     '.' = Dead Cell (Void)
      |       |       |    
     ( . )-( . )-( . )      Fated Rules: 
      \     / \     /             B2 / S2 (Born if 2, 
       ( . )---( . )                  Survives if 2)

The above seed produces a spiralling glider (the Fated Pulse).

   Tick 0 (Seed)            Tick 1 (Shift)           Tick 2 (Spiral)
  ( o )---( o )            ( . )---( o )            ( . )---( . ) 
   /   \ /   \              /   \ /   \              /   \ /   \       
( . )-( o )-( . )    ( . )---( o )---( o )    ( . )---( . )---( o ) 
  |     |     |        |       |       |        |       |       |   
( . )-( . )-( . )    ( . )---( . )---( . )    ( . )---( o )---( o ) 

The LEDs are mapped to the 20 vertices of a dodecahedron. This allows patterns to orbit the centre core without ever hitting a physical boundary.

                .-------.           [ 3D TOPOLOGY ]
             o /    o    \ o        Each "Eye" is a
           o  /  o     o  \  o      vertex. Patterns 
           o |  o       o  | o      traverse the 
           o |  o       o  | o      lattice edges, 
           o  \  o     o  /  o      orbiting the 
             o \    o    / o        horizon in fated 
                '-------'           geometric cycles.

The goal is a self-contained, handheld artifact that can be 3D printed and powered by a modest microcontroller.

• The Brain: PIC18F series (e.g., PIC18F25K22). Sufficient RAM to store the two-state buffer for the 20-LED lattice.
• The Lattice: A 20-LED Dodecahedron vertex arrangement (perfectly balanced).
• The Drivers: 3x 74HC595 Shift Registers (daisy-chained). Provides 24 outputs, covering the 20 LEDs with 4 pins spare.
• Power: 3x AAA batteries (4.5V) or a 3.7V LiPo tucked into the hollow centre.

The orb is designed as a Hemispherical Snap–Fit assembly:

• Two Halves: Printed in a transparent, dark or bone-like filament to contrast the Gleam.
• Internal Chassis: A 3D-printed “core” that holds the battery sled and the PIC circuit board.
• The Channels: Internal wire-routing slots lead from the core to the LED sockets on the outer shell.

To honour the Yarn force (the force of bonds and life lines), one may replace traditional copper with conductive filament traces:

• Conductive Traces: The inner shell features recessed paths printed in conductive PLA.
• Connection: LED legs are bent to press-fit against these “printed wires,” essentially “weaving” the circuit into the very skin of the Eyol-Elta.
• Fate Realised: This method ensures the circuit is as unbending as the rules that govern the lights.

Instead of a single simulation, the orb runs three independent Gleam layers (Red, Green, Blue) on the same 20-node lattice.

• Harmonic Conjunction: When two realms overlap on a single node, colors mix (e.g., Purple/Cyan), representing a dimensional alignment.

^ Addition ^ Qty ^ Notes ^

Integrating an IMU allows the user to influence the “unbending” rules by tilting the orb, simulating a gravity well for the light.

Referencing the “Seeds” lore (22 dots including a lost one), a single 21st LED is hidden deep in the core, flickering asynchronously from the surface -elta.

A tiny vibration motor provides a tactile “thrum” whenever a glider completes a full generational cycle, making the payment of the Whale Due physical.

The following snippet represents the core “Fate Engine.” It scans the 20 nodes and calculates the next state based on the Yarn connections (Adjacency Map).

// The Map of Fate: Each node connects to 3 neighbors
const int yarn[20][3] = { {1,2,5}, {0,3,6}, ... }; 

void calculate_fate() {
    for (int i = 0; i < 20; i++) {
        int neighbors = 0;
        // Count neighbors in the current Gleam realm
        for (int j = 0; j < 3; j++) {
            neighbors += current_state[yarn[i][j]];
        }
        
        // Apply B2/S2 Rules
        if (current_state[i] == 1) {
            next_state[i] = (neighbors == 2); // Survival
        } else {
            next_state[i] = (neighbors == 2); // Birth
        }
    }
    // Snap-fit next_state to current_state and update Shift Registers
}