Elemental: War of Magic is set in a world filled with magic and ancient lore. As the ruler of your kingdom, you must expand your empire through a combination of magical power, military might, diplomatic skill, technological advancement and bold adventuring. Your worlds will be of your choosing, or players are free to create their own.

The story of Elemental: War of Magic begins with an immersive single player campaign with you being the only person in your kingdom with the ability to channel magic through mysterious shards of magic that are scattered across the world. These shards, a result of a tremendous cataclysm that occurred a century prior when powerful beings waged war across the world, are the source of much of the world’s magic.

With the powers of old now gone, you now hold the key to the use of magic in your land. As ruler of your land and a channeler of magic, you must decide how much of your power to imbue into your heroes as you build new cities, explore dungeons, perfect spells of ever-increasing power and negotiate with friends and foes alike. Other channelers in the world, whether they be of the race of Men, The Fallen or the Beasts, are also able to access magic and may not share your vision of the world.

Harnessing the technology of ImpulseReactor, ground-breaking multiplayer modes include traditional skirmish modes as well as a persistent universe mode. Additionally, integrated modding support allows players to submit maps, items, creatures, races, technologies, spells, buildings, environments and much more from right within the game and become available to all players of the game seamlessly.

The Random House Publishing Group announced the establishment of a new group responsible for the creation of original transmedia intellectual property (IP)—story content that can be accessed through multiple media sources including video games, social networks on the web, mobile platforms, in print and on film—that will be developed and marketed in partnerships with other media companies.

The group will also offer editorial services to media companies that will enhance the world-building and storylines of their already existing IP.

Utilizing its vast experience in bestselling storytelling and, in particular, the Del Rey imprint’s extensive expertise in game-related genres such as science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and horror, the new Random House IP group is in a unique position to create complex storylines set in original worlds with fully imagined characters, world histories and geographies.

While multiple deals are in the early stages of development, the group’s first announced partnership is with PC game developer Stardock Corporation.  In conjunction with Stardock’s creative team, the Random House Publishing Group is collaborating on the story and world of the upcoming Stardock PC fantasy strategy game Elemental: War of Magic.  The Random House Group will also publish Elemental: Destiny's Embers (August 2010), a novel set in the world of Elemental, written by the game’s creator and executive producer, Brad Wardell.

Within the Random House Publishing Group, the IP Creation and Development Group will be led by Director of Creative Development, Keith Clayton, and Director of Business Development, Mikita Labanok, reporting to VP and Publisher of Del Rey/Spectra, Scott Shannon.

“After more than eighty years, Random House is now taking our storytelling expertise one step further,” said Gina Centrello, President and Publisher of The Random House Publishing Group.  “We are providing a valuable service to other media companies in a competitive entertainment market, where success increasingly depends on the quality of your story.”

“A good story doesn’t necessarily have to begin and end with a game; it can and should encompass as many creative mediums as possible in order to provide fans with the most complete rendering of a fictional place or time,” said Brad Wardell, CEO of Stardock and executive producer of Elemental. “With Elemental having an incredibly rich back story to tell, partnering with Random House allows us to create the most immersive universe possible for our fans.”

Like all Stardock titles, Elemental: War of Magic will include no on-disk DRM and will be available for re-download and updates through the Impulse digital distribution platform regardless of wherever it is purchased.