Every natural thing on Earth contains its very own Spiritual Energy, brought into being upon its creation. Plants, rocks, dirt, they all have an infinite stream of Energy flowing from the core of their being. This Energy moves back into the Earth, and is used to further creation, and thus, keep the planet alive. However, as there is a surplus, not all of this Energy is recycled and used for natural generation. Instead, some of it is used to create a very specific kind of life.

Tiny Spirits, aptly named “Gaian Spirits”, are born from this Energy. Sometimes, as Spiritual Energy leaves its parent, it will find its way back into another natural item, such as a pebble, or a glowing ember. When this happens, the free Energy will mingle with the Energy already inside the item, and create a Gaian Stone.

Gaian Spirits, more commonly known as simply “Gaian”, are born defenders, tasked with protecting and maintaining nature and its balance. They are usually within the range of 4 to 6 inches in height, while Soul Bonded Gaian can reach up to 9 inches. They are genderless, and possess no reproductive organs, as they are only created via Spiritual Energy. Gaian are usually addressed as “they”, though some personally prefer gendered pronouns. This preference is sometimes picked up due to exposure to humans.

They usually reside in an environment that suits their personal element, though some Gaian like to mingle, or live dangerously in cities or other urban areas. Humans pose a great threat to the spirits, as it is said that possessing a Gaian Stone can bring immense luck to a person, especially if the stone belonged to a Bonded Gaian. Due to their near pseudo-immortality, these spirits can live for thousands of years.

Gaian diet is composed of naturally-grown consumables, like fruit and vegetables. They do not eat meat, nor can they eat anything artificial. Man-made consumables can upset their Spiritual Balance, and make them ill.

Each Gaian has a small stone located on their foreheads, called a Gaian Stone, which houses the Spiritual Energy that created them. The Gaian Stone is smooth, opaque, and round, like a small marble, and will always take on the color of its element. The stone holds the Gaian’s life force, or "Soul", which is the Spiritual Energy inside. The stone will draw in further Energy from nature when the Gaian is in need of it, gaining more Energy from items associated with its element than from those that are not. This drain can be more or less intense depending on how badly it is needed. An example of this being recovering from a small cut, versus regenerating a limb‒the latter taking far more energy than the former. When a Gaian is feeling strong emotions, or using one of their elemental abilities, the Gaian Stone will glow softly.

Gaian Stones are created when free Spiritual Energy is diverted back into another natural item. This free Energy will mix with the Energy already housed inside the item, transforming it into a Gaian Stone.

A water Gaian Stone is created when Spiritual Energy enters a developing pearl.

An earth Gaian Stone is created when Spiritual Energy enters a pebble.

A fire Gaian Stone is created when Spiritual Energy enters the ember of a blazing fire.

An air Gaian Stone is created when Spiritual Energy enters a leaf as it is blown from a tree.

A Gaian’s body is created by the Spiritual Energy housed inside their Gaian Stone. It is covered in soft fur. While their bodies are made from Energy, they are not made of Energy, meaning that they can bleed, become injured, experience fatigue, illness, hunger, thirst, and can be affected by the weather (such as heat and cold). If a Gaian’s body sustains an injury that would usually be considered “fatal”, their bodies will be broken down into a form of pure Spiritual Energy, called Rebirth. The Gaian stone will then draw in massive amounts of Energy from nature, until it is able to reconstruct the Gaian’s body‒including regrowing lost limbs. Their bodies do not change appearance upon emerging from Rebirth, and cannot obtain scars. Soul Bonded Gaian will not separate before entering Rebirth.

Gaian begin in a form similar to Rebirth, simply and appropriately called “Birth”, when their bodies are first created, not long after the creation of their Gaian Stone. Gaian appearance varies greatly, as their fur comes in a variety of colors and patterns, and they have many physical trait variations. However, they do have a few un-changing attributes. These being the presence of antennae, both eyes, small clawed hands/feet with three fingers and a thumb, and a Gaian Stone set into their foreheads. Rarely, Gaian may possess multile limbs or eyes, though mutations such as these are more common in Soul Bonded Gaian, the likelihood increasing with the number of Souls in the mix. Some Gaian may not have ears or tails, though this is also a rarity. Some Gaian also enjoy wearing accessories or clothing, though this is not a requirement, and is done purely for pleasure.

Breaking the Gaian Stone is the only way a Gaian Spirit can truly die. When a Gaian Stone is broken, the Spiritual Energy trapped inside is set free, and will return to the Earth to either be reused in creation, or become another Gaian, depending on where fate takes it. If a Gaian Stone becomes cracked, its Energy will slowly leak out, until it is gone, resulting in the same fate. There is no way to fix a crack in a Gaian Stone, though they are relatively sturdy and do not crack easily. If the Stone of a Soul Bonded Gaian cracks or breaks, it will result in the death of every Gaian participating. Soul Bonded Gaian cannot return to their individual forms if their Gaian Stone is cracked. Vacant stones of Gaian who have passed are wrapped in leaves and buried in the dirt, where they will break down. A plant will always sprout in its place.

When a Gaian Stone is created, it can become one of four Root Elements:

A Gaian’s element is entirely dependant on the item that was used in the creation of their Gaian Stone, and dictates their Elemental Powers.

Each Gaian is born with a set of specific element-based powers, which they learn to utilize as they age. These powers use up Spiritual Energy, and cannot be used if their Energy dips too low. The Gaian must first rest and draw in more Energy through their Gaian Stone before they can use them again.

Gaian Spirits are able to partake in “Soul Bonding”, which is the act of mixing one’s own Spiritual Energy with another in order to create an entirely new Soul Element. Two to four Gaian, when in spiritual and emotional Harmony with one another, may touch their Gaian Stones together in order to fuse their Souls into one. Balanced Harmony can be achieved through numerous methods; love (romantic or not), friendship, mutual understanding, a shared goal, and so on. Gaian do not necessarily have to like each other in order to create a Soul Bond, as mutual hatred can even be considered balanced Harmony.

When two to four harmoniously balanced Gaian touch their stones together, the Spiritual Energy inside is drawn to one another. Each Gaian enter a state similar to Rebirth, as their energies mix and mingle, finally ending in the creation of one singular Gaian Stone of a brand new Soul Element. If any or all of the participating Gaian become harmoniously unbalanced, the Soul Bond will break, and the new element will separate into its counterparts.

Gaian Souls are similar, but not completely comparable to our human understanding of a soul. They are both the spiritual embodiment of a Gaian's lifeforce, and the Spiritual Energy that keeps them alive. It is more akin to both a human's heart and immune system, its very presence keeping their bodies going, and working to heal them when the situation requires. Thusly, a Soul Bond is not necessarily one of partnership or emotion, and cannot be compared to something like "soul mates". Instead, it is a very literal term, describing the actual bonding and fusing of multiple Souls. That doesn't mean, however, that Soul Bonds cannot be created because of feelings such as these, such as romantic partners wishing to Soul Bond with one another.

Upon creation, the Soul Bonded Gaian will form a new body in a fashion similar to Birth. When the new Soul Element is created, they will choose their name, much like their individual counterparts did upon emerging from Birth. They will have a new set of powers dependant on their new element. While the participating Souls are still inside this new body, the Soul Bonded Gaian will take on a personality of their own. Soul Elements are usually taller than Root Elements, by 1 to 3 inches.

Unlike the four Root Elements, which are always created via Birth, new elements‒called Soul Elements‒can only be created through Soul Bonding. The outcomes of Soul Bonding are always the same based on which Root Elements were fused, meaning Root Water and Root Fire will always make the same Soul Element, as will Root Air and Root Earth, and so on. If any Soul Bond has one or more of the same Root Element inside, they will act as one. Say, if a Soul Bond contained two Root Earth and one Root Air, the resulting Soul Element would be identical to one created by a single Root Earth and single Root Air. The only acception to this rule is during the creation of a Two-Soul Element, wherein two identical Root Elements combine. An example being two Root Fire, or two Root Air. Any additional identical Root Elements after this would not change the outcome. Soul Bonds may only contain a maximum of four Souls, regardless of Element. Any attempts to add another Soul to a Four-Soul Bond will cause it to become unbalanced, and separate.

The act of Soul Bonding is considered completely normal in Gaian society. While it is not overly difficult to achieve, some pairs may find it hard to gain true Harmonious Balance. A perfect all-inclusive Four-Soul Bond is the hardest to achieve, due to a variety of reasons‒most being proximity to one another and achieving Balance‒and thus, are the most rare.