Vermin Soup
Though a common staple for many households in the Rasp, vermin soup is an important dish that marks a rite of passage for new arrivals who may wish to join the Nāgya or visitors who might wish to conduct business with them. A dish born out of necessity in the early days of the community, vermin soup has become less and less necessary as economic conditions in the Rasp improve. Even so, it remains common for the average family in the Rasp to consume vermin soup more days in a week than not.
History
Unlike Yronroost, which enjoys substantial commerce with parties external to the Vault Supernal, the Rasp has fewer economic opportunities. The average citizen of Yronroost therefore enjoys a substantially better quality of life than the average inhabitant of the Rasp.
This stark inequality was witnessed firsthand by the first Nāgya. Despite their opposition to the Sangi and their policy of nonintervention, the first Nāgya who emigrated from Yronroost would have still benefited from the quality of life and economic prosperity produced by the profiteering of the city's residents and as such the economic conditions in the Rasp would have come as a shock. Vermin soup would have been a disgusting and undignified thing for the first Nāgya, who were used to having proper meals in Yronroost.
Even so, the first Nāgya consumed the vermin soup, considering it to be a way to put themselves in the shoes of the unfortunate and the impoverished who live in the Rasp and a first step in getting accustomed to the dramatically different lifestyle of the Rasp's inhabitants. The tradition has since continued, with the Nāgya refusing to accept any Architect from Yronroost into their number without said Architect first consuming a bowl of vermin soup. Similarly, Nāgya children have a bowl upon coming of age so that they might be considered fully-fledged Nāgya adults.
Merchants and adventurers who wish to establish ties with the Nāgya and the Rasp must also consume a bowl of vermin soup to prove the purity of their intentions. Otherwise, the Nāgya will refuse to interact with them beyond offering guidance or providing emergency aid.
Components and tools
Vermin soup has no set recipe. As the name suggests, it is made using vermin caught in the vicinity of the Rasp. This often includes rats but may often also include bugs and other pests. As a common meal for many of the inhabitants of the Rasp, the dish is served in whatever vessel is available, from crude wooden bowls and cups to dented pewter dishes. No utensils are used in the consumption of vermin soup, which is typically sipped directly from the vessel it is served in. Any pieces of meat are picked up with the bare hands with no need for cutlery.
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