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A short overview of what happened before.

The story so far:
Our heroes meet eachother on the Great Carpenter Wall, they are tested by their Nikutai (Corporal) and Gunso (sgt) and they do battle with creatures of the Shadowlands. Their actions on the wall attract the attention of the Kuni Daimyo Kuni Utagu. 

Strength From Weakness.

His son, a Hida-trained bushi named Kuni Yakuto, has failed his gempukku ceremony, fleeing from the field while the rest of his class stood and faced the horde of goblins and other creatures. Because Yakuto is a daimyo’s son, he is to be given one more chance, and he will accompany the heroes into the Shadowlands.
With the fate of his own son at stake, Utagu has assigned a highly experienced Crab scout, Hiruma Noiyama, to guide the group heading into the Shadowlands. Unknown to anyone, however, Noiyoma is a servant of the Oni Lord Kyoso no Oni, and has been sacrificing her fellow Crabs to this Oni to protect herself.
After a dangerous journey, the heroes finally discover the true allegiance of Noiyoma and while the others battle and defeat the Kyoso no Oni spawn, Kakita Mitsurugi defeats the traiterous scout in a duel to the death.

Winter Court in Kyuden Hida.

The crab clan decides to hold its own Winter Court, away from Otosan Uchi and proclaim a 20 goblin winter. The heroes are summoned to this court in recognition for defeating the Kyoso no Oni. The heroes assemble an exquisite gift for the Crab Daimyo Hida Yakamo and each of them recieves a gift in return from the Kuni Daimyo.
When Ichiro Nobefusa, an emissary of the Badger Clan is found murdered, presumed by Maho, the heroes are called in to investigate. They find a hidden letter at the murder scene which details information about the Lying Darkness. To obtain more information, they decide to trade the information contained in this document to Hitomi Sakashi, a Kikage Zumi who expresses much interest in the contants of this letter.
With Sakashi's information the heroes quickly find out that a Mantis Samurai-ko called Yoritomo Momoso is responsible for the Badger's death.
However, when confronted, the Mantis bushi claims to have no knowledge of the deed. The Inquisitor Yasuki Kyoshi uses his magic to confirm that Momoso indeed acted outside her own will.
Despite this, Yoritomo Momoso asks, and is granted permission to commit sepuku. In their investigation, the heroes stumble accidentally on the true culprit, a Maho Tsukai from the Unicorm clan called Iuchi Xanpan, who himself is being possessed by the Oni no Nanbanfu.
After a brief but brutal struggle, the heroes prevail and destroy this Oni.
For their success and defeat of the Oni, the heroes from Crab families are given the status of Crab Clan Magistrates.

The first task as Magistrates is to investigate rumours of a haunting in the remote region of Kyuden Toketsu, however, before reaching it, rumours about a Lion invasion cause them to investigate. They battle these invading Lion but soon discover these invaders aren't human at all but formless shapeshifting evil beings. Since the lion have no taint, our magistrates are unsure who or what this new enemy is but they start to have their suspicions.
Furthermore, they are threatened by Hitomi Sakashi the Kikage Zumi to release the Badger letter to him.

Lesser of two evils.

The heroes arrive in Kyuden Toketsu.
Once there, the samurai meet the castle's lord, Yasuki Nori, and learn that an evil is plaguing his home. Rumors abound of an evil in the swamp. The peasants fear the worst and the venerable lord is unable to quell his people's fears. Recently, minor earth tremors have begun to worry the populace. The samurai are probably unfamiliar with the valley's history. Most of this information Nori keeps from the PCs for fear that he (or his family) will be suspect. His apprehension is due to the ministrations of his new councilor: his geisha Suko, who has become a great help to him of late. Her knowledge of the village and the temple have proven invaluable to him (and have cemented his fears). In his old and feeble state he accepts her advice as he would that of a sage. In reality, Suko is the bog hag Higashato wearing the skin of a geisha. A few months back she murdered the geisha and claimed her skin, drawing closer to Yasuki Nori. Her plan is to draw powerful samurai to the valley so she may expand her collection of skins.
The heroes, on the train of the Bog Hag find a hidden temple in the swamp, filled with taint, shadowlands creatures, minor oni etc... They find out that a powerful uni is sleeping under the earth and is being awakaned by the corrupted abbot of the temple and the Bog Hag. They confront the Bog Hag and defeat her after a deadly battle. Kuni Shidjiro decides to use the Blood Stone, a powerful tainted nemuranai, to cast a 1000 years of sleep over the awakening Oni Kussate Iru. He uses his magical Kuni tanto to cut the taint out of him, leaving a permanent scar on his forearm. Hida Buruke retrieves the Armour of the Sun and Moon that was being guarded by the Crystal Samurai.

Meanwhile Yasuki Nori has comitted sepuku and with no heirs, the castle is presented to Toritaka Hideyaki with the idea to use it as a staging ground for Crab Magistrates. The Yasuki immediatly send a troupe of The Botherhooed of the Scaled Carp to assist, the Kuni send Shugenja, who will guard the Temple and the Hida and Hiruma send a minor force as well to defend the keep.

At this time, grave and terrifying news holds Rokugan in its grip: The Emperor is missing! All evidence points to the Scorpion. Imperial Chancellor Takuan, decides to banish the Scorpion to the Burning Sands.




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