How Plague Frog Came to Smythkepe

Some years ago, Seamas and I traveled to a small, fun-loving group called Gnome Vale in Ansteorra for their Margrave/Vormund Tourney. Neither of us had any idea what a Margrave or a Vormund was, but we knew and loved the people of Gnome Vale and wanted to support their event. We had a grand time. Of the many things we learned that day, one was a game we knew we had to introduce to Smythkepe – Plague Frog.

The Premise
When plague hit Europe, many theories arose regarding how the pestilence was spread. One theory was that it was spread by…drumroll, please…frogs!

What’s Needed
A stuffed frog – reasonably lightweight, but easy to throw and catch
A source of lively music that can be started and stopped at the whim of the music-keeper
A person to serve as music-keeper
A person to serve as judge
Appropriate prizes
Plenty of people to play!

How to Play
The game itself is a combination of “Musical Chairs” and “Hot Potato.” The players arrange themselves in a large circle and toss the frog to whichever other player they choose while the music plays. The music-keeper turns his/her back to the circle of players and plays or stops the music at whim. When the music stops, whoever has the frog (or touched it last) dies of the plague. Prizes are given for the “Last Survivor of the Plague,” and “Best Death” as determined by the judge.