The party consists of 2 Scorpion siblings (a brother and a sister, who are a Courtier and Assassin, respectively), a trio of Dragons (two Bushi and a Swordmaster), a Phoenix Bushi, and two Mantis (a Bushi and an NPC shungenja).
The party is in the employ of Hantei Naseru, and their first job is to roam around Rokugan inquiring people as to which Wind they support. They are given a list of who they have to talk to and what to do about it if they don't support Naseru (a lot of which involved 'assassinate them if they don't support me').
After a really nice roll with a blowgun, Shinjo Shono dies (taking over 80 damage between the dart and the poison). Afterwards,the party manages to find the entire list and with some effort, they avoid killing any other ones. Naseru gives each PC initially in the party an Imperial boon (most asked for a nemurunai weapon). However, there were only four of the original characters at this point (Both Scorpions, one Dragon, and the Phoenix).
The cast at this point has changed to the 2 Scorpions, the Phoenix, 2 of the 3 Dragons (only one of each Mirumoto school now), a new Scorpion that replaces the dead Dragon (a Shosuro Saboteur), a Wasp archer who replaces the Yoritomo bushi (who died in Chikushodo as part of Operation: Find Shiba Tetsu), and the Yoritomo shungenja remains the NPC. Rezan has been an off again on again NPC, because I told the party that if they put in enough cute female party members Rezan would be a frequent NPC (just 'cause I like him).
Begin stage two, or 'Operation of Doom'. Naseru informed the party they were going on a deep recon mission. He neglects to inform them where it is they are going and asks that they write up a supplies list. (this brings us to the first enrty of 'Stupid Stuff' as they were sent to investigate the cave as a teamwork exercise while their supplies were being gathered, having just gained some new party members). They return to Ryoko Owari, tired, dizzy (after walking in circles for a few hours) and ready for their assignment.
Then they find out that Naseru wants them to go into the Shadowlands, follow a map he has had made up, verify said map, and find a vaible route through which to take an army.
(Much screaming from the party ensues. -Isawa Koi)
The saboteur gained the nickname 'Ninja Mapmaker', as he was in charge of the map (for lack of a better choice I said his Engineering skill covered maps). They returned with minimal taint (appropriately enough the Phoenix got tainted but no one else) and exhausted their rather healthy jade supply. No one died (my fault-there was a lot of dice fudging to save them, and the villians I let them defeat WILL come back), however Shono returned as Michishono, nightmare of the party. He happily beat everyone within inches of death, then was forced to leave after some nice shooting by the resident Wasp (the Scorpion Assassin who killed him has Dark Fate and was rather freaked to discover being torn apart by the resurrected evil form of someone she killed was NOT her dark fate... I have MUCH more evil plans then that). After that they encounter a Dark Moto training some horsemen, sadly the Wasp is run over by onikage. The Party narrowly survives, burns the Wasp's remains (not really recognizable at this point) and finally finds the City of the Lost. They run out of the Shadowlands as fast as possible.
Naseru gave them some much deserved down time. The Phoenix went off in search of some taint removal (I add-libbed some really weird mystical mumbo jumbo) (Hey! -Isawa Koi), the rest of the party went off to deal with family functions and Ninja Mapmaker was told to set up a front (he made a fireworks shop). Ninja Mapmaker was kidnapped due to some backlash from the courtier's schemes. The courtier inherited his families holdings in Ryoko Owari and got dragged into the heart of the underworld (he is joint partners in an opium cartel/extortion racket/whatever else). The Wasp is shortly replaced by a Mantis merchant, who acts as an underworld informant... until he pisses off the locale Hiruma ambassador (*WHAM* head taken off with a tetsubo). The Dragon Bushi got killed hunting down bandits, the phoenix was with him but was taken, um, prisoner, the party rescues her and exterminates the bandits (hurray!).
The party frees Ninja Mapmaker (after he made a deal with the people who kidnapped him) and then he tried to double cross the kidnappers (also members of the Scorpion Clan). Death and Traitor's Grove soon follow. End Ninja Mapmaker. He is replaced by his sister, who wants to know what happened to him.
The party changes again: Same old Scorpion siblings, Scorpion Actress, the Dragon Swordsmaster reamains as does the Phoenix Bushi, a Crane magistrate replaces the Mantis (he's flambouyantly gay and terribly arrogant), an Akodo bushi replaces the Dragon bushi, a new Mantis shugenja arrives (new player), Rezan and the other Mantis Shugenja remain as NPCs.
I decided to use Clan War and run the siege of Ryoko Owari. I have reached the point where I wish I wasn't playing in gold edition (begin: Departing From Canon). The first 2 scenarios I run they fight to hold positions (first a gate versus a horde of peasant levies, then a small farm versus a flanking force of Lions and Unicorns). The final mission; the party, Mirumoto Rosanjin, and Rezan against the spearhead of the Shogun's forces (Moto Chagatai, Akodo Ijasu, and Akodo Kaneka, all leading elite units). Somehow, (actually the power of a good draw) Rezan defeats Kaneka in a duel, The Swordsmaster and Rosanjin's units (that Dragon garrison offered to Naseru) wear down Chagatai's unit, and Ijiasu's unit thrashes with the party's Lion. Kaneka's unit is still good and solid at the end of the battle after having crushed Rezan's block of ronin, and the Phoenix and Scorpion party members' small units. A month passes as the party recoops (Rezan got thrashed as did the sordsmaster and the Lion).
Winter court looms in the air. I ran a small L5R-ccg tournament between my players to see where it is, final game my Lion tactician deck (one of my players barrowed my good Scorpion deck) versus the Dragon swordmaster's Drunken Dragon deck. The Dragons win due to a Torrential Rain. The Court is at Kyuden Hitomi. The Party heads off to secure Naseru's route killing several large groups of bandits en route.
The party foils an attempt bloodspeakers to replace key members of the court, which is good because they actually helped set the whole thing up. Ryuken and Mirumoto Tsuge plan an attack to take Kitsuki Seido after winter court (which went over poorly by the way). Isawa Reiko and Bayushi Seiji spent alot of winter court focused on arranging a marriage for themselves. Rezan causes some comic antics and really ticks off Reiko's mother. However, Seiji proves himself cause of most comic relief by angering nearly all of the single women in court, never before have I seen such bad rolls. Several other party members spend time with Hitomi Vedau .