The terrestrial cockroach (Periplaneta americana), known to the Native tribes as Chilu Soka (“those who creep in the shadows”), is an invasive species that has found remarkable success in the ecosystems of VOI 700 D. Originally brought aboard the spacecraft Last Frontier as accidental stowaways, these resilient insects have established themselves across the Habitual Belt and beyond.

During the settlers’ journey, terrestrial cockroaches thrived on the supply decks of the Last Frontier, feeding on waste and scraps. Some were captured and dissected in school biology classes as part of terrestrial education, while others were unofficially processed as a protein source for the human crew. Despite these efforts, the species endured, and their arrival on VOI 700 D sparked new ecological dynamics.

• Length: Up to 4 cm
• Weight: Less than 1 gram, its lightweight build enabling it to maneuver through tight crevices.
• Speed: The terrestrial cockroach is capable of quick bursts of speed up to 5 km/h, an impressive pace for its size, allowing it to escape predators or relocate rapidly.
• Appearance: The cockroach’s dark brown exoskeleton is segmented, with a slight iridescent sheen that helps it blend into dimly lit environments. Its antennae are long and highly sensitive, detecting food, danger, or competitors from several meters away. Equipped with six spiny legs, the cockroach moves nimbly over uneven terrain. Small compound eyes give it decent vision in low light, but it primarily relies on its sense of touch and smell to navigate.

• Armor Class (AC): 12 (due to its small size and agile movements)
• Hit Points (HP): 5

Attacks:

• Bite: 1d4 piercing damage, with a 25% chance of inflicting a minor disease on the target.
• Infestation: A swarm of cockroaches in a 5-foot radius can deal 2d6 damage per round if not removed or dispersed.

Special Abilities:

• Scavenger's Instinct: Advantage on Survival checks related to locating food or hiding places.
• Disease Carrier: Any creature bitten by a cockroach must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or become infected with a minor disease that reduces their movement speed by 10 feet for 1d4 hours.
• Persistence: When killed, cockroaches release pheromones that attract other cockroaches within a 30-foot radius, potentially summoning a swarm.

• Origins and Spread: The terrestrial cockroach escaped into the wild after the crash of the Last Frontier near New Kourou in the Habitual Belt. From there, it infiltrated human and Native settlements, stowing away in trade shipments and stolen goods to reach far-flung locations like Firetown and the Ralar Geothermal Caves.
• Preferred Habitat: Warm and humid environments such as supply depots, inns, and volcanic caves. The cockroach avoids colder regions, such as the Dark Side.
• Behavior: Opportunistic and highly adaptable, cockroaches scavenge anything edible, from discarded waste to stored supplies. They are known to enter conflicts with Native invertebrates like Bero Hiki, displaying surprising territorial aggression despite their small size.

Earth Cockroaches aren't well-equipped to withstand the predators of their new home but they multiply quickly, which makes them an ideal protein-source for small animals. Their emergence led to an increase in wild Kajanga, and subsequently to an increase in Korozo who prey on Kajanga.

As an omnivore, the Earth cockroach has entered into direct competition with the wormlike invertebrate the Natives call Bero Hiki. Both species are antagonists: Faced with each other, they show an untypically territorial behavior. It has been observed that in the face of a sufficiently large amount of food like the mushroom Luminofera dualis both species will still choose to attack and chase each other away, rather than go for the food and coexist. Thus, cockroaches are constantly being pushed back to their areas of retreat. However, driven by instinct rather than learnt experience, they always try again to expand their radius of expedition into this new world.

This has inspired some members of the Native tribes, by association, to use the term “Chilo Soka” (those who creep in the shadows) for humanity on VOI 700 D. This derogatory way of speaking is consistently documented, among other sources, in speeches by Native leaders in the Great War against the human settlers.

At times, cockroaches come across dead Bero Hiki. They can't eat them, though, for a poison in the Bero Hiki's body. Bero Hiki can digest cockroaches without risk of poisoning. They usually don't, however, as cockroaches can carry a number of diseases dangerous to native species.

The terrestrial cockroach is not a direct threat to players but it can cause significant disruptions like resource depletion or transmission of diseases. In addition to that the cockroach also has a symbolic role as it is alien to the planet like the ExoHumans are.

• The wildlife of the Eastern Equatorial Section of the Habitual Belt from A to Z
• The wildlife of the Dark Side from A to Z
• Earth