Soup law

The soup law was a law in the Chacya Kingdom regarding what legally constitutes a soup. The law was enacted in 790 TT, but was repealed in 576 TT.

Under this law, a soup is a food item cooked in a pot which:

1. is liquid, or has at least some liquid-like consistency;
2. is served in a bowl with no holes;
3. contains no poison;
4. is entirely edible using a spoon;
5. contains at least one vegetable; and
6. contains no forbidden foods, notably meat and fish.

Additionally, the law required that any soups being delivered to a head of state must be observed at all stages of their creation process by at least two royally appointed soup wardens.

History

The soup law was introduced during the reign of Aleche IV after it was found that his chef, Sabri Wos, was a spy from the city-state of Frejin. In response, the Chacya Kingdom executed Sabri Wos and sieged Frejin. During the siege, the new chef, Ailegrae Jecem, presented a soup to the king.

When Aleche IV tried the soup, he found that it tasted foul, and ordered an investigation into the new chef. The investigators concluded that the Ailegrae Jecem was not a spy or assassin, but was simply poorly trained. Aleche IV then drafted the law to define a standard which a chef must meet in order to serve soup.

A week later, the first ever soup warden was found to be an assassin from Frejin. She was caught by the second soup warden when she encouraged the chef to add a poisonous leaf to the soup's mixture. This caused Aleche IV to officially declare war on Frejin.

The city of Frenji was subsequently burnt to the ground by the Chacya army. Spider entanglers were planted in great numbers to prevent a new city from being built in its place. Stones were erected with the inscription "Beneath these plants lie the bodies of a wretched and treacherous people. May they be less wretched as fertiliser."