They aren't spirits in the sense they're dead, that's more like ghosts. What I mean is more... embodiment. Energy from a certain thing given form. So... they're the embodiment of the sky, or the sea, or a forest or lake or mountain. They have their own world that kind of exists... next to ours, I guess. It's been that way for ten thousand years, but my friend Korra recently kind of merged the two together.

( he's more frustrated at his own inability to tell it properly than anything. he stops them both, reaching out to tug on lance's arm. )

Here, give me your hand.