Puzzlus Timus (deadline feb 4th)

[Radiant]

Rules: Every couple of weeks, a post will be made with a list of items and a scenario. Using your wit and skill find a way to complete the scenario with the items provided. You can only use a set number of items of your own choice. When I say use your skill, use it. The deadline is a bit later than for earlier puzzle contests, to give people the chance to respond. If there are less than three entries by then, I'll probably want to extend it a bit.

Voting: After the deadline, voting shall begin to commence an initiating start.

The Grand Prize: The winner gets a lifetime FREE supply of green pixels! Supplied real soon to a monitor near you. In addition, the winner may use those green pixels (among others) in a brand new Puzzle Time.

Scenario: The location is Ancient Rome. You wish to become one of the senatores, but you don't have enough popular support yet.
This does not have to be historically accurate at all, just go with popular opinion of what Rome was like - or read a couple of Asterix comics. Nothing wrong with a subtle anachronism or two.

Problems: There are not enough people that would vote for you (it's up to you whether that means one person short, or nobody at all, or anything in between). You'll have to convince them through bribery, intimidation, hypnosis, becoming a folk hero, or whatever else comes to mind.
Bonus points for adding a secondary problem with some historical basis, e.g. someone with elephants who has lain siege to the city, or a slave riot, or trouble with the gladiators over at the colosseum.

Equipment: Three or more of the following, plus up to three items of your own choice.
Toga
Gladius (i.e. sword)
Laurel
Wrist watch (well, they always show up in cowboy films, too)
Helmet
Parchment
Quill
Quail
Chariot
Forked stick
Boomerang
Goose
Divine statuette of Jupiter
Myrrh

[Radiant]

Okay, is this too difficult? Or should it be postponed until after the team challenge? Or what?

[Ginny]

I found it interesting, but it is quite complex. ATC is probably making people busy, but dont postpone it till after, thats too far away. Maybe just a week or two more.

[BMF-Inc]

Alright, in order to fully explain and understand this competition, I will have to break down what groups of people I am catering to.

1.The Religious- Being aware that in this time period, religion held a very heavy weight in the society, my first and most important group is the religious temple goers and priests and priestesses. I would first, in my oh so divine charity and care for the growth of our local temples, would donate the divine statuette of jupiter to the people...and...to comemmorate such an event, would start it off with the bang by sacrificing....the duck with my gladius, using the blood of the duck with my quill to them etch a holy saying of some kind into the statue to purify and endow it with it's holy power (or something to that effect)

2. The Actors and Entertainers- During the festival of Bacchus I would work with a troupe of actors and playwrights to put on a performance of epic proportions. This would be semi-historical depiction of the Roman's defection from the Etruscan society (which was pretty bloody) I would then use my duck blood covered sword, helmet as my costume, rush out into the stage and begin the tale.

3. The Party-goers-After the play, the festivities would continue with orgies, drinking, and all that good stuff. I would use my Myrrh with a bottle of wine to create, pretty much, a date-rape substance (Historically, the jews would give it to any who were punished to death so that they would be completely disoriented and unrealizing of their pain) todrug the oh so fair vestel virgins. I would sneak into their chamber, ripping my toga into long strips and tying them together into a rope. Use that rope to climbi nto their window...give them the drugged wine, posing it as a a simple sacrifice to the god Bacchus in his holy day, get them all drugged up and....well you know what's next. This, although highly illegal and is a penalty punishable by castration and even death, would put you in high graces with the drunkards and perverts (even though the vestel virgins...were not so vestel...nor virgins so they story goes) There is another demographic

4.The Farmers-Although a minor play in the land of voting in Rome, I would try and help out thel ocal farmers having issues with their crops flourishing and well issues. This is a pretty straightfoward approach .Iw ould put my divine faith in the gods and mysuperstition by using the forked stick as a water finder, follow it to where it leads me and mark it's location using my quill and parchment, give it to the head of the farm and run before they find out it was a farce....(which would take some time..hopefully after election day)

So there you have it...man was that long winded.

[Radiant]

Okay, BMF-Inc wins. Congrats!