Ecoscape- recruiting

[cody4camp]

To learn about ecoscape please view the spoiler.

>! 
The Beginning
>! At the beginning of time there was naught but darkness and a vast intelligence within it. But there was nothing for it to see or consider, because nothing was there. So it thought. Thoughts became images and images became reality, and like a spark within a pool of oil, the darkness set ablaze. Stars came into being, and planets, and many many living things… but also dark things, because nothing can exist with meaning but without struggle.
>! One of the planets was special to the great intelligence because it existed at the center of the spark that started everything else. Many different beings walked on this planet, and there were many animals and plants for their use... but also, deep in the mountains of the south, dwelled a race of dark beings. By tainted instinct they knew of the primal darkness that existed before everything, and they wanted to return to that, though it meant destroying everything that lived.
>! In the forests and the plains and the mountains, civilization developed, but always at risk of being overrun. Towns built walls, their denizens invented weapons... and great heroes ventured outside the safety of their homes, both to learn about the world and to prepare for a time when they would be called upon to defend it.
>! The force behind the enemies of the mortal races is unknown. However, it is known that it likes to twist the races into dark reflections of themselves. Graves of the dead are defiled and the corpses arise to destroy their former families. Beautiful elves are tortured and experimented on to produce filthy violent orcs. Animals that exist in equilibrium with nature are altered to eat more, or kill more, or attack passersby, so even nature is becoming a dark version of itself. What is happening must be discovered, discovered and then stopped.
>! In the beginning of time, the difference between good and evil was all too easy to see. Most among the mortal races flocked to the banners of the forces of light, and they had the upper hand. But some among the great heroes leading them were corrupted by the darkness. In the death of night came promises of wealth, power, magic beyond the dreams of mortal men -- and some did indeed sign the contract from hell. The extraordinary physical and mental powers of the fallen heroes remained, but none of their former will or personality. They were not merely enslaved, their souls were murdered and replaced by demons. Elves became orcs, men became liches or skeleton princes or living shadows. Dwarves are made of too tough a flesh to be disintegrated, so their bodies and minds became blackened, corroded, twisted and insane. The dark dwarves built machines of death, not life.
>! The fallen heroes turned dark lords attacked their former comrades, guiding the armies of monsters, evil races and undead to the fields of battle. The dark lords' mental clarity steadily deteriorated because of the insane chattering of the voices from hell in their heads, but in their growing madness they became more irrationally violent and more dangerous. And killing them was almost impossible, because they were not held together by flesh, bones, and a living heart, but rather by spells from hell. Under their leadership, the darkness began to spread across the planet. Impregnable fortresses were built by the dark lords that looked over the dying lands around, to make sure nothing pure and noble survived. Civilization, even at its early hours, was on the defensive.
>! The former friends of those who turned searched the holy tomes for rituals to destroy the receptacles for unholy power. Wizards created spells to destroy them, warriors armed and armored themselves, and thieves began to scout the dark lands to find targets for their friends. Dark lords presided over great armies, greater than those on the side of good, but through great effort by the heroes of light, they were put down and their demonic souls banished back to hell. Without their leadership, evil weakened, but even in its weakness it presented a stiff challenge.
>! The next thousands of years saw much loss of life, and the defilement of many good things. But civilization was not grim and fatalistic, and many good things were created despite the wars. Elven music enchanted the ears of those who heard it, and they tended to the forests meticulously, as though the forests were gardens. Dwarves built marvelous structures and crafted incredible items for every use in life. Men set their native energies towards every pursuit. They existed in a state of war, but they lived life for life, not merely to survive. And so, the battles between them and the darkness showed an increasingly stark contrast between rule by might at any cost, and rule by might tempered by integrity and compassion.
>! In the present day, the darkness is at advantage. A sinister series of black clouds hang over the dark lands, and the minions are stronger for it. Unsettling rumors are spread through the civilized lands that great forces are being marshalled in the enemy country to decisively wipe out the cities of good. And here and there, the name of Kiirael is whispered -- a young elf prince that had great potential, who was kidnapped out of his bed and never seen again. Thieves that have been scouting the dark lands have heard his name mentioned, that he was forced to see a glimpse of the true shadow, and that it broke his mind, and that he now leads the legions of the darkness. Whether it is him, or another, it is certain that a secretive, powerful force has arisen under the black clouds. The orcs and skeletons used to kill each other freely, but since the rumors started flying, this has stopped.
>! Many dark lords preside over heavily fortified castles in the evil continent. Hordes of undead, orcs, monsters, and evil men have been making incursions into the civilized lands, trying to destroy the towns in which the people of light live. Making the situation more difficult are the complex politics between the good cities. They do not always present a united front to that which threatens them, even as the towns are attacked almost every week. The historians agree that the timeless war is reaching a crucial point. It is in our day and age that things will be decided -- whether the children of the great intelligence can unite to decisively smash the dark forces... or die trying.
>! The Country of Ilandor
>! Ilandor is a forest town that is situated near the middle of the continent. Cozy small log huts house the townsfolk, and timber is the town's main export. A law has been in effect for a long time that mandates that several trees be planted in place of each one cut down, so Ilandor's existence has not destroyed the woods. This town is considered the safest area to live because it is furthest from areas populated by monsters, and other towns bear the brunt of monster attacks. However, weak monsters have begun to appear even here, which to expert eyes suggests that a great evil power has appeared somewhere, and that the world is quickly becoming a more dangerous place to live.

Ecoscape already has a large design team, but we lack pixel artists, and I could use some help programming the engine.
You will find on the dev forums we have a great story writer, and his works are fun to program around.
We just received a free dedicated server from melbourne.co.uk because they like the idea of hosting a game.
Ecoscape uses the [EO] engine.
Ecoscape is in need of the following:

* Tile artist
* Sprite artist
* vb6 programmer

[cody4camp]

Added about 5 paragraphs to the story.