The Planet

The planet known as Gaia is more than a sphere of stone and water—it is a living entity. Beneath its crust flows the Lifestream, the river of spirit energy, source of all life. Mountains, forests, seas, and skies are shaped by its presence. To mortals, Gaia appears as a world rich in resources, but to the wise, it is a fragile body that can bleed when wounded. Legends claim that the stars themselves listen when Gaia suffers, and that great catastrophes are often the world’s cry for survival. Gaia’s surface is divided into vast continents, isolated archipelagos, and harsh polar regions. Great mountain chains split the lands, while rivers cut fertile valleys below. Vast deserts lie where the planet’s life-force has thinned, while verdant plains thrive where it flows strong. The world has no single unified empire; instead, kingdoms, clans, and city-states rise and fall in different corners. Travel is perilous, for monsters and spirits roam the wilds, yet caravans and sailors risk it all for wealth and glory. The Lifestream is Gaia’s lifeblood, circulating spirit energy through every stone, tree, and creature. At rare places it surfaces, glowing green and filling the land with vibrant growth. Such springs are sacred, worshiped by priests or hidden by rulers who exploit them. Legends say that to bathe in the Lifestream is to hear Gaia’s voice itself. But these sites are dangerous—too much exposure overwhelms the mind, drowning mortals in visions they cannot comprehend. Across Gaia lie ruins from civilizations long vanished. Some whisper they belonged to the Cetra, others to forgotten human kingdoms. Towering stone markers, labyrinthine caverns, and shattered temples dot deserts and jungles alike. Adventurers seek these places for relics of power, though many find only danger: guardians that never sleep, traps still waiting, or cursed places scarred by wars long past. The ruins are proof that Gaia has seen countless ages of rise and fall before the present one. Gaia is home to many peoples. Most are human, spread across towns and cities, but others exist. Remote clans cling to old ways, while nomads still echo the Cetra’s wandering path. Beastfolk, outcasts, and strange intelligent creatures inhabit the fringes of the world. All are tied to Gaia’s flow of spirit energy, whether they acknowledge it or not. Stories tell of rare bloodlines still able to hear the Planet’s whispers, but such individuals are often feared, revered, or hunted for their gifts.