Personal ward generators are usually about the size of a pack of playing cards. Powered by a rechargeable upala battery, they tie into an operator’s prana field and provide protection from extremes of radiant and kinetic energy. There are also models specifically tuned to provide environmental protection as well (for instance, against the cold and dark of the space between worlds), although this greatly diminishes the strength of the field protecting against other damage.
As with many technik miracles, the outcaste and primitive Andhaka lack the subtle energies necessary to successfully interact with these tools, and are forced to rely on mechanical pressure suits (and carapace armor shaped from the brightly colored petals of an exalted flower in the orchid family).

Betwa

Notes

Authority: Military, High Tech / Refinery Outpost

Wakal

Notes

Authority: Outlaw, Refinery / Industrial Outpost

The Void Devils that periodically wreck so much havoc in the Solar Kingdoms are the natives of a world that orbits Mitra B, the brown dwarf co-binary companion to Surya (Mita A). These Abhva bring conflict and discord in the periods where Mitra A and Mitra B are close enough to transit (every 745 Local Years, for a 70 to 140-year period).

Due to the limitations of Empyrean Sails, as well as dark matter interference (among other things), the Janya lack precise astrometric data regarding the Yama system. There is at least one inhabited world in the system (“Planet X”), although presumably there may be more.

Elemental Technik and Vivacism have served to greatly extend Janya lifespans from a low of approximately 125 Local Years for the Artisan caste, to 230 Local Years and counting for those who can afford it, primarily the Nobility Caste. The practice of Janya advanced technik medicine is known as “Ayurveda”. There are three distinct branches of Ayurveda; those devoted to the Janya Artisan (and Outcaste) physiology, those devoted to the Janya Nobility (and Cleric) physiology, and those devoted to Savant Caste physiology. As each Caste does not lack for examples of brilliant intellect and education opportunity; physicians of every stripe are present in each Caste (and gender, as it happens), although there are cultural biases that advantage physicians of each Caste tending to their peers.

Kravyad medicine is a specialty somewhere between zoology and combat medicine, usually possessed as an additional skill set on top existing physician training.

Practically, Sādhanā allows for the regrowth of organs, prevention / remission of disease, and ameliorating the effects of age; while Technik allows for alchemical tonics, medicines, and treatments as well as the creation of biopolymer (q.v.) based prosthetics.

All living being possess some amount of prana (life) and shakti (soul) energies (these are the primary subtle energies in Rockets and Mayhem). Healthy beings generate more of each of these than they absorb from the universe around them.

Among the Janya, those with sufficiently advanced capacities for shakti generation and retention are known as Śramaṇa. At this level, individuals are capable of influencing the material forms of matter and energy around them, as well as the subtle energies, at the subconscious level. This generally expresses itself in the form of extremely good luck and a facility with the advanced Janya science of Technik, the interaction of material and subtle forces.

The majority of Janya are Śramaṇa.

Those who lack this capability for shakti interactions are known as Andhaka. This manifests itself to the Janya as correspondingly (but not probabilistically[1]) bad luck, and doubt based gremlins that cause failures and mishaps when interacting with Technik constructs. Among the few positive benefits, Andhaka are resilient to the effects of Sādhanā to a surprising degree.

On the other hand, there are those (especially among the Savant and Cleric castes) who posses shakti capabilities an order of magnitude or more advanced than the Śramaṇa. These are the Siddha, Janya mystics who can interact with the material and subtle forces of the universe at a conscious level, requiring no physical constructs to do so. They can change the forms of matter, spontaneously generate bursts of energy, communicate physically over great distances, and stave off the entropic forces of the universe for a time.

[1] If a Śramaṇa flipped a coin one hundred times, they could predict the outcome seventy to seventy five percent of the time. When Andhaka attempt the same, their accuracy is closer to 50 percent. When the Andhaka do so in a contest with a Śramaṇa, they are only correct roughly one time in four.

In Rockets and Mayhem, magic is real. Generally, one in four sentients will be born with *some* ability to manipulate reality via will, and species specific paradigms for the ability exist. Among the Janya, the ability to create a supernatural effect without the assistance of Technik is known as Sādhanā. The ability of the Kravyad to do so is known as “Witchcraft”, although for the most part it seems to consist of simple psychic phenomena (similar, but distinct from the manipulation of Shakti). The Black Magic of the Abhva and the Makara, is generally known as “Nemesis”.

Janya Sādhanā concerns itself with the mastery of three forces. The first are Akashic, which are the material forms of matter and energy. Those who seek to master these forces are Elementalists. The second force is Prana, the subtle element that animates life. Those who seek to master these forces are Vivacists. The third, and final, force is Shakti, the subtle element that governs thought and consciousness. Those that seek to master this force are known as Spiritualists.

The primary Sādhanā techniques are mantra and yantra, word and pattern. Sādhanā, even of the Elementalist or Vivacist domains, is fueled by Shakti…only living creatures blessed with this gift may manipulate the Sādhanā forces (see Andhaka). Possibly due to this limitation, Elementalism and Vivacism are individual pursuits (two Siddha from these paths may not combine their efforts), while Spiritualism is very much a collaborative effort (the default Spiritualist effects grow exponentially more powerful when fueled by a congregation).