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The White Tower is Real!

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  The White Tower is Real! Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> - 2026-08-10 12:48 +0800
    Re: The White Tower is Real! John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2026-08-10 07:46 -0700
      Re: The White Tower is Real! Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> - 2026-08-11 11:48 +0800
        Re: The White Tower is Real! John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2026-08-12 08:57 -0700
          Re: The White Tower is Real! Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> - 2026-08-13 01:43 +0800
    Re: The White Tower is Real! <-- magic, magick, maho, .... more strange words?? "Mr. Chang Man-wai" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-08-12 14:04 +0800
      Re: The White Tower is Real! <-- magic, magick, maho, .... more strange words?? Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> - 2026-08-13 09:09 +0800
        Re: The White Tower is Real! <-- magic, magick, maho, .... more strange words?? "Mr. Chang Man-wai" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-08-15 14:49 +0800
        Re: The White Tower ... Dark vision and programming dark vision eye-glasses "Mr. Chang Man-wai" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-08-15 15:52 +0800
          Re: The White Tower ... Dark vision and programming dark vision eye-glasses Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> - 2026-08-15 16:40 +0800
            Re: The White Tower ... The biology of dark vision "Mr. Chang Man-wai" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-08-19 22:07 +0800
            Re: The White Tower ... Dark vision and programming dark vision eye-glasses Lane W <cactus_DAC@yahoo.com> - 2026-08-22 13:27 -0600
              Re: The White Tower ... Dark vision and programming dark vision eye-glasses "Mr. Chang Man-wai" <toylet.toylet@gmail.com> - 2026-08-23 12:46 +0800

#630 — The White Tower is Real!

Dear alt.fantasy,

I have a white tower of blinking magick at home.  And before I waste
too much time to write into the void, is there anyone here?

-- 
Johann | email: invalid -> com | http://www.myrkraverk.com/blog/
I'm not from the Internet, I just work there. | via Easynews.com
https://bsky.app/profile/myrkraverk.bsky.social | for ( ;; ) _:;

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#631

On Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:48:27 +0800
Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> wrote:

> Dear alt.fantasy,
> 
> I have a white tower of blinking magick at home.  And before I waste
> too much time to write into the void, is there anyone here?

There is indeed.

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#635

On 10/08/2026 10:46 PM, John Ames wrote:
> On Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:48:27 +0800
> Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> wrote:
> 
>> Dear alt.fantasy,
>>
>> I have a white tower of blinking magick at home.  And before I waste
>> too much time to write into the void, is there anyone here?
> 
> There is indeed.
> 


It's good to know there are still wizards in alt.fantasy.  Just to set
the tone, and to start a discussion, do you have darkvision, John Ames?

-- 
Johann | email: invalid -> com | http://www.myrkraverk.com/blog/
I'm not from the Internet, I just work there. | via Easynews.com
https://bsky.app/profile/myrkraverk.bsky.social | for ( ;; ) _:;

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#639

On Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:48:30 +0800
Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> wrote:

> It's good to know there are still wizards in alt.fantasy.  Just to set
> the tone, and to start a discussion, do you have darkvision, John
> Ames?

Perhaps it's my affinity with cats, but I can in fact navigate my
apartment in the dark =^_^=

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#641

On 12/08/2026 11:57 PM, John Ames wrote:
> On Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:48:30 +0800
> Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson <johann@myrkraverk.invalid> wrote:
> 
>> It's good to know there are still wizards in alt.fantasy.  Just to set
>> the tone, and to start a discussion, do you have darkvision, John
>> Ames?
> 
> Perhaps it's my affinity with cats, but I can in fact navigate my
> apartment in the dark =^_^=
> 

That is indeed good to know.  I only recently became aware of my /dark
vision/.  On one tentacle, it's a completely ridiculous /super power/,
because it's much easier to just use a flash light; and on the other
tentacle*, absolutely useless when posting on Usenet, because the dis-
plays of liquid crystals only work with light seeing eyes.

Now, to the subject matter of alt.fantasty, I thought to mention among
the wizards here, that I am in fact working on a magick on my white
tower of blinking magick.  To clear up some confusion, the nether
regions called /graphical prognostication university/ takes care of vis-
ualizing the /open graphick lattices/, so I only need to type in the
magickal code; usually in /lingua magica C/.

That said, I never make use of the /lingua liber magicus/, please excuse
the nominative, my Latin is rusty, when writing posts on Usenet.  There
is a simply explanation for the confusion, and I'll expand on that sub-
ject if anyone here in alt.fantasy cares.


Have a nice magickal day here in alt.fantasy!

* Why do we talk of ten tacles when there are habitually only eight of
them on a creature?
-- 
Johann | email: invalid -> com | http://www.myrkraverk.com/blog/
I'm not from the Internet, I just work there. | via Easynews.com
https://bsky.app/profile/myrkraverk.bsky.social | for ( ;; ) _:;

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#636 — Re: The White Tower is Real! <-- magic, magick, maho, .... more strange words??

On 8/10/2026 12:48 PM, Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson wrote:
> Dear alt.fantasy,
> 
> I have a white tower of blinking magick at home.  And before I waste
> too much time to write into the void, is there anyone here?

Being a maggot or muggle:

What is "white tower of blinking magick"?

Is there a difference between magic and magick?
And maho (Japanese)?

What other words are related to magic?

-- 

    @~@   Simplicity is Beauty! Remain silent! Drink, Blink, Stretch!
   / v \  May the Force and farces be with you! Live long and prosper!!
  /( _ )\ https://sites.google.com/site/changmw/
    ^ ^   https://github.com/changmw/changmw
          The game is afoot... Meow...

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#642 — Re: The White Tower is Real! <-- magic, magick, maho, .... more strange words??

On 12/08/2026 2:04 PM, Mr. Chang Man-wai wrote:
> On 8/10/2026 12:48 PM, Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson wrote:
>> Dear alt.fantasy,
>>
>> I have a white tower of blinking magick at home.  And before I waste
>> too much time to write into the void, is there anyone here?
> 
> Being a maggot or muggle:
> 
> What is "white tower of blinking magick"?
> 
> Is there a difference between magic and magick?
> And maho (Japanese)?
> 
> What other words are related to magic?
> 

I'm now here in alt.magic.history, and we don't confuse fantasy with
reality.  We leave that up to trolls in comp.lang.c, and potentially
alt.magic but I don't know them yet.

There are the now Icelandic roots of magical words, galdr, and seidr,
the latter is meant to have an eth, but I don't bother to type that to-
day.  These two words come from the germanic roots of magic.  Sadly, I
don't know much about the history of germanic magic.  And for that matt-
er, neither Chinese, nor Japanese magic.  I am just a beginner in magic-
al studies.

I have read some of the history books on alchemy, and I came to the sub-
ject through the study of history of the sciences.


So, what questions do you have about the history of magic?
-- 
Johann | email: invalid -> com | http://www.myrkraverk.com/blog/
I'm not from the Internet, I just work there. | via Easynews.com
https://bsky.app/profile/myrkraverk.bsky.social | for ( ;; ) _:;

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#643 — Re: The White Tower is Real! <-- magic, magick, maho, .... more strange words??

On 8/13/2026 9:09 AM, Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson wrote:
> 
> There are the now Icelandic roots of magical words, galdr, and seidr,
> the latter is meant to have an eth, but I don't bother to type that to-
> day.  These two words come from the germanic roots of magic.  Sadly, I
> don't know much about the history of germanic magic.  And for that matt-
> er, neither Chinese, nor Japanese magic.  I am just a beginner in magic-
> al studies.
> 
> I have read some of the history books on alchemy, and I came to the sub-
> ject through the study of history of the sciences.
> 
> So, what questions do you have about the history of magic?

Magic, notably ancient magic, are always forbidden topics, right?
And the Witch Trials in Europe and many subsequent events, nobody
wanna talk about it anymore. And the Dark Age.

We have science gadgets that mimic magic. I doubt you can ever
find out much about the true, authentic history of magic, let
alone learning to become a real magician.

But, you can find discussion of magic in movies, animations and 
cartoons. Would those productions be burnt like witches?

I dunno and I do not prophetize .... ;)


-- 

    @~@   Simplicity is Beauty! Remain silent! Drink, Blink, Stretch!
   / v \  May the Force and farces be with you! Live long and prosper!!
  /( _ )\ https://sites.google.com/site/changmw/
    ^ ^   https://github.com/changmw/changmw
          The game is afoot... Meow...

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#649 — Re: The White Tower ... Dark vision and programming dark vision eye-glasses

On 8/13/2026 9:09 AM, Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson wrote:
> I'm now here in alt.magic.history, and we don't confuse fantasy with
> reality.  We leave that up to trolls in comp.lang.c, and potentially
> alt.magic but I don't know them yet.

In another thread, you talked about dark vision.

If and only if one can build a pair of eye-glasses
using modern-day computer technology that does dark
vision, C programming is needed to display what the
eye-glasses can see using mathematics related to
graphics. :)

-- 

    @~@   Simplicity is Beauty! Remain silent! Drink, Blink, Stretch!
   / v \  May the Force and farces be with you! Live long and prosper!!
  /( _ )\ https://sites.google.com/site/changmw/
    ^ ^   https://github.com/changmw/changmw
          The game is afoot... Meow...

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#650 — Re: The White Tower ... Dark vision and programming dark vision eye-glasses

On 15/08/2026 3:52 PM, Mr. Chang Man-wai wrote:
> On 8/13/2026 9:09 AM, Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson wrote:
>> I'm now here in alt.magic.history, and we don't confuse fantasy with
>> reality.  We leave that up to trolls in comp.lang.c, and potentially
>> alt.magic but I don't know them yet.
> 
> In another thread, you talked about dark vision.
> 
> If and only if one can build a pair of eye-glasses
> using modern-day computer technology that does dark
> vision, C programming is needed to display what the
> eye-glasses can see using mathematics related to
> graphics. :)
> 

Yes, here in alt.magic.history, we do not confuse fantasy with reality.

I admit I do somewhat conflate the two in alt.fantasy, but that's me
writing fiction, and everyone who reads alt.fantasy knows that fiction
is not reality.

Now, on the subject of dark vision, I do not believe that's done with
the eyes.  Eyes -- as everyone knows -- are light sensors of the bio-
logical type, and don't /sense darkness/.  Now, magical creatures* with
dark vision therefore have to sense their surroundings with some other
organ.  I'm pretty sure that's rare, because bats use sound to navigate
in darkness, and that's not /dark vision/ -- at least in this paper on
magical history.

So, the first step is to either /divine/, or /observe/ some creature of
magical properties apply /dark vision/ in reality.  I do not strictly
mean divination in the magical sense, because if we can imagine some
physical phenomena that measures surroundings without the need of light,
and then create scientific apparatuses to mimic the effect, we are gett-
ing somewhere.  In this sense, I do not believe /night vision goggles/,
even if coded in C -- let's include comp.lang.c in this discussion, may-
be they know -- qualify; if I'm not mistaken, these /night vision gogg-
les/ sense and magnify surrounding background light, and don't work in
total darkness.**  So what we need to do, here in alt.magic.history, is
to read a lot of ancient manuscripts -- this may take centuries as there
are many of them -- to find observations and/or details of how dark vis-
ion is supposed to work, or by complete happenstance, to observe a crea-
ture doing this in reality.

Now, on the observation part, here is a conundrum, how do we observe
someone, or something, /see in the dark/ when we do not?  How would we
know if someone or something is navigating reality without using the
help of eyes?***  I believe this is quite impossible, without direct in-
put from said magical creature, so said magical creature must also be
willing to talk to us in the sciences,**** speak at minimum Ancient
Egyptian, Latin, or a modern language, and be willing to explain what
it's doing.

Now, for people willing to undertake the study of ancient languages to
further the course of alt.magic.history, I heartily recommend

o  https://shop.thegreatcourses.com/latin-101-learning-a-classical-language

o 
https://shop.thegreatcourses.com/decoding-the-secrets-of-egyptian-hieroglyphs

as a place to start.  The latter of these courses is taught by an
eminent scholar of Egyptology, and has his own Wikipedia page to prove
it.  Bob Brier has also written extensively on Ancient Egyptian Magic,
and may be willing to discuss the matter with anyone willing to pay
him.*****

Now, once we have /something/, anything, to emulate with a scientific
apparatus, we can start to discuss programming it in C.  I have a feel-
ing modern scientific devices are programmed mostly in C++, and/or
Python, but that's based on a single data point, and neither of these
programming languages are worth discussing here in alt.magic.history.
So to further the programming effort of alt.magic.history, I do suggest
a book, rather than a video course, on how to to linear algebra on a
/graphical prognostication unit/ -- sometimes confused with /graphical
procrastination unit/ because it's used for games -- which is the foll-
owing.

o  https://www.amazon.com/Learn-OpenGL-programming-step-step/dp/9090332561/

Of course, everyone in comp.lang.c prefers the online edition, which is
freely available -- or was, last time I looked -- but we in alt.magic.
history prefer hardcopies, in case the website will not be around in a
century, or two, or three; or whenever unsaid magical creature is will-
ing to assist in the creation of /dark vision/ goggles.

Now, we turn the matter over to Mr. Chang Man-wai who has graciously
offered to code said goggles, approximately three hundred years from
now.  What do you say?


* For now, let's just assume there is a creature that exists in reality,
and we can apply the label /magical/ to it.

** In the movies, when the lights are turned on, these /night vision go-
ggles/ stop working.  If they were indeed just /measuring darkness/,
they'd probably continue to work properly even in total daylight.
    And now we come to the question of how real /night vision goggles/
are in the movies, vs. reality, because I have never used any of these
devices.

*** Here I include artificial eye implants that have done quite well for
the totally blind as /eyes/.  Please see papers or articles about this
phenomenon, as I will not expand on it here.

**** According to the latest fad in fantasy, this is probably unrealist-
ic expectation.  I refer to the movie /Old Guard 2/ as a typical example
of the expectations of anyone, or anything, having unusual biological
properties.

***** I do not know him personally, only professionally, so cannot say
much more than that.
-- 
Johann | email: invalid -> com | http://www.myrkraverk.com/blog/
I'm not from the Internet, I just work there. | via Easynews.com
https://bsky.app/profile/myrkraverk.bsky.social | for ( ;; ) _:;

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#664 — Re: The White Tower ... The biology of dark vision

On 8/15/2026 4:40 PM, Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson wrote:
> 
> Yes, here in alt.magic.history, we do not confuse fantasy with reality.
> ......
> I admit I do somewhat conflate the two in alt.fantasy, but that's me
> ....
> Now, on the subject of dark vision, I do not believe that's done with
> the eyes.  Eyes -- as everyone knows -- are light sensors of the bio-
> logical type, and don't /sense darkness/....
> * For now, let's just assume there is a creature that exists in reality,
> and we can apply the label /magical/ to it.


You need a special organ or maybe a crystal to
use dark vision. And the dark vision needs to
tap into the visual cortex the brain to render
the dark vision, so that the human can kind of
see what's in the dark world.

> Now, for people willing to undertake the study of ancient languages to
> further the course of alt.magic.history, I heartily recommend
> as a place to start.  The latter of these courses is taught by an
> eminent scholar of Egyptology, and has his own Wikipedia page to prove
> it.  Bob Brier has also written extensively on Ancient Egyptian Magic,
> and may be willing to discuss the matter with anyone willing to pay
> him.*****

Dose this mean you can curse someone into acquire
dark vision? Say by a judge or a magistrate? As
part of a trial?

> Now, we turn the matter over to Mr. Chang Man-wai who has graciously
> offered to code said goggles, approximately three hundred years from
> now.  What do you say?

No, it's tedious work to render graphics. And
the gaming industry has all the mathematics,
algorithms and source codes to do such tasks.

The real problem is testing those dark vision
goggles. You needs humans that actually see
the dark world. Are they all brutally killed
and slaughters during witch trials and
subsequent events? :)

> *** Here I include artificial eye implants that have done quite well for
> the totally blind as /eyes/.  Please see papers or articles about this
> phenomenon, as I will not expand on it here.


Will you insert daemonic creatures' eyes
into your own body? It's a crazy idea...
suicidal! :)

How about wearing magical items that can
see the dark world? Again, it's a crazy
idea.

It's better to stay normal and don't
see anything in the dark world and/
or underworld.

May the Force and farces be with you!
Live long and prosper!!


-- 

    @~@   Simplicity is Beauty! Remain silent! Drink, Blink, Stretch!
   / v \  May the Force and farces be with you! Live long and prosper!!
  /( _ )\ https://sites.google.com/site/changmw/
    ^ ^   https://github.com/changmw/changmw
          The game is afoot... Meow...

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#672 — Re: The White Tower ... Dark vision and programming dark vision eye-glasses

Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson wrote:
> On 15/08/2026 3:52 PM, Mr. Chang Man-wai wrote:
>> On 8/13/2026 9:09 AM, Johann 'Myrkraverk' Oskarsson wrote:
>>> I'm now here in alt.magic.history, and we don't confuse fantasy with
>>> reality.  We leave that up to trolls in comp.lang.c, and potentially
>>> alt.magic but I don't know them yet.
>>
>> In another thread, you talked about dark vision.
>>
>> If and only if one can build a pair of eye-glasses
>> using modern-day computer technology that does dark
>> vision, C programming is needed to display what the
>> eye-glasses can see using mathematics related to
>> graphics. :)
>>
> 
> Yes, here in alt.magic.history, we do not confuse fantasy with reality.
> 
> I admit I do somewhat conflate the two in alt.fantasy, but that's me
> writing fiction, and everyone who reads alt.fantasy knows that fiction
> is not reality.
> 
> Now, on the subject of dark vision, I do not believe that's done with
> the eyes.  Eyes -- as everyone knows -- are light sensors of the bio-
> logical type, and don't /sense darkness/.  Now, magical creatures* with
> dark vision therefore have to sense their surroundings with some other
> organ.  I'm pretty sure that's rare, because bats use sound to navigate
> in darkness, and that's not /dark vision/ -- at least in this paper on
> magical history.

I have keen dark vision. One of my cousins is the opposite and can't see 
at all in the dark. Two nights ago I was in a park. I could barely make 
anything out. The next night I went back and to me it seemed like 
twilight. Have you ever heard of adjustments to the dark that improve 
after a day of going through the sunshine and stuff and coming back?

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#674 — Re: The White Tower ... Dark vision and programming dark vision eye-glasses

On 8/23/2026 3:27 AM, Lane W wrote:
> 
> I have keen dark vision. One of my cousins is the opposite and can't see
> at all in the dark. Two nights ago I was in a park. I could barely make
> anything out. The next night I went back and to me it seemed like
> twilight. Have you ever heard of adjustments to the dark that improve
> after a day of going through the sunshine and stuff and coming back?


You better find out why you got dark vision.
Did you do something very bad very wrong?

Maybe you are in a trial seal. Confess your
sins honestly to the judge. Stop telling
lies and run away.

-- 

    @~@   Simplicity is Beauty! Remain silent! Drink, Blink, Stretch!
   / v \  May the Force and farces be with you! Live long and prosper!!
  /( _ )\ https://sites.google.com/site/changmw/
    ^ ^   https://github.com/changmw/changmw
          The game is afoot... Meow...

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