Stardock announces the release of Elemental: War of Magic, their fantasy-themed 4X turn-based strategy PC game, as well as Elemental: Destiny's Embers, a companion novel written by Stardock's Brad Wardell. Word is the novel "weaves a captivating tale that takes place in the land of Elemental, giving readers and players alike a unique perspective on the land in which they seek to rule in the game." It's available in bookstores, and word is that those who buy it will be able to download an additional, exclusive video game campaign which will be released in four stages, the first of which is expected next month. There's also an Elemental: Day 0 Preview from Stardock (thanks Big Download) announcing an interim patch is now available for the game, and offering details on what they are calling a day 0 patch, which may be misnamed if it comes out tomorrow, which sounds likely. Here's more on the game:

This latest title from Stardock is heavily inspired by classic games from the golden age of PC gaming. The game’s Lead Designer and CEO of Stardock Brad Wardell said, “The main idea behind Elemental was that we wanted to create gameplay that was both an advancement of the genre and a throwback to old-school gaming on the PC. Elemental: War of Magic accomplishes that and more.”

Included with the game are a series of integrated modding tools allowing fans to create their own fantasy maps, monsters, tiles, effects and much more. The game’s story-driven campaign, written by Random House’s writing team, was made exclusively with the built-in modding tools.