Session 14: The forest is solitude

 Party: Daidoji Jinsoku, Doji Natsuki, Hida Ganko, Togashi Amajino, Yoritomo Shohei

The group, having Amajino and some servants deal with the messy aftermath of the fight, gets down to business. They feel like they should investigate the mysterious Matsu Mizuki, but Jinsoku digresses and eventually storms off. 
Shohei starts going through the records of Hitsoyu Mura (Necessary Village), the Bayushi holding. He discovers they pay enough ronin to form a small army, together with arms and food for those troops.
Natsuki checks over his shoulder, providing refreshments and small talk.
Ganko starts patrolling the grounds, hoping to keep further dangers at bay with the force of his presence.

Jinsoku heads to the Loops, the rough part of town where those who would prefer to remain anonymous would reside, chatting with uncle Ebi and discovering the residence where Mizuki stayed... the Wayward Pine Inn. He speaks a while with old man Pine, the owner of the establishment, discovering Mizuki has not been back for a couple of days. He pays for her stay and gets to look around her room for clues. Barely sniffs anything while in there. Does find a scroll containing a secret message from the Lion Clan, but as it is written in the Lion Clan cypher, that does not tell him much.

Eventually, as Jinsoku returns to his friends, Amajino comes up with an idea. What if they would look into the people that are missing? It seems a good lead to find out where the Moon Clan is hiding. 

But then time runs long and the group sets out to meet with Fade. They chat a while with the ronin on the Bridge of Drunken Lovers, with Fade asking for a specific horse (a black stallion like the one used during the raid on the Soshi's Opium warehouse in town ~coincidentally looking a lot like the ). Procuring this animal would mean the party would have an extra ally in their camp and he offers them a 'wild lioness' in return to sweeten the deal.
In exchange for their kindness in meeting with him, Fade does offer a bit of information: He traded some liberated Thunder Guard uniforms with the Moon Cult.  

Using Shohei's research, the party tracks down horse trader Momoko as the person who procured a similar horse to that of Bayushi Otodo, but discovers that the man has passed away.
In creative investigative pursuit of the truth, Natsuki, Amajino and Shohei ransack the entire hovel the man used as a dwelling and shop, which provides them with a ledger that shows the horse was bought by the Unicorn clan for a hefty sum and sold back to Momoko at a nice discount by Ide Baranato.
They also find proof of Moon Cult activity, including a small statuette representing Onnotangu (Lord Moon), showing a group of four to six cultists likely gathered here to perform their rituals as a sort of splinter cell of the Moon Cult. 

Session 13: In the Shadow's Embrace

Party: Daidoji Jinsoku, Doji Natsuki, Hida Ganko, Togashi Amajino, Yoritomo Shohei

The group wakes up and gets down to their morning activities, happy to have a moment to see to their affaires.
Ganko invites Shosuro Jocho, after receiving word that the man would like to meet up, to the breakfast and finds an invite to meet with Fade at sunset on the Bridge of Drunken Lovers. 

Daidoji Jinsoku is, after arriving at the breakfast, confronted by Kakita Doze (his pupil), who has been vetting the new caretakers of the house. He is introduced to Utsukushi - a delicate girl with a swan's neck and large eyes who will work the kitchen - and Pinpin - a sturdy tomboy who will take over the stable duty. The other potential staff has been let go due to a lack of proper manners or proper background. Doze will keep his efforts up, hoping to regain the favour of his sensei.

Doji Natsuki arrives at breakfast to a stack of paperwork which states her claim on the Red Lotus House, formalizing her new status as Denna for that place.

Shohei takes stock on the market updates and notes that paper and sake are being bought in bulk, alerting him to the immanent Liberation Festival (known to the locals as 'Crab Day'). This in turn reminds the group that they were scheming to change the uniform of the Thunder Guard in order to flush out those who may present themselves as such. Jocho seems very on board with the idea.
Doji Chi attends the meeting together with Ashidaka Michitaka, chasing small kami-butterflies around the room when the group is not watching. Shohei has procured a small fan with which she can send subtle gusts to guide the spirits and this seems to please her to no end. He takes the moment to also warn both Isawa Nagitoro and Ebi of potential dangers in the City. 
Additionally, he brings a large fan for Natsuki, to thank her for the Crane Clan help he has been able to receive thus far. 

As Jocho has a moment of Jinsoku's time, he offers him a duelist ribbon (as the current trend is to wear a trophy for dueling victories). Jinsoku, non-plussed and with full awareness, refuses three times and sends Jocho off. 
Jocho then convinces Ganko, before leaving the Magistrate's Residence to head to his daily duties, to take the ribbon and talk to Jinsoku about wearing it.
There is a small amount of words between Ganko and Jinsoku, in which some of the reality of the politics of Ryoko Owari is brought to the fore. 

Before much else happens, a group of merchants and the lady Matsu Mizuki arrive to speak to the magistrates, only to turn out to be a hostile cadre of ... shapeshifters?
The group fights again in their dwelling and wins a costly victory, with Shohei and Natsuki in need to medical assistance after bravely defending their dwelling.
In the end, Jinsoku slices through the mouth of the thing wearing Mizuki's face, which leaves its amputated jaw behind before it disappears and the other humanoids that attacked slowly dissolve into puddles of obsidian goo.

Session 12: As Petals on the Breeze

Party: Togashi Amajino, Hida Ganko, Daidoji Jinsoku, Yorimoto Shohei, Doji Natsuki

We rejoin the group as loud noise from the street distracts them from the quaint meeting in the House of Gilded Lilies. An irate Bayushi Korechika is making his displeasure known, implying various things the party has done in the City to be a strike directly against him. He demands the return of "his ward" Doji Chi, he implies they are either in league with Hyobu against him or at the very least refuse to investigate her, he is angry about their lack of visiting his holdings and showing preference to the other sites of recent crimes... and he feels strongly that his son has been beaten unfairly in the recent duel.
The party talk him down and manage that get the situation defused quite well.

After Korechika takes his leave, assurances made that the situation with Doji Chi and his warehouses at Necessity Village (Hitsoyu Mura) would get due consideration, the Lady of the House of Foreign Stories (the gaijin Magda) makes herself known and offers the party a gift of clean kimonos to use. She, in turn, spends a while talking with the Emerald Magistrates and receives an offer from Hida Ganko to assist with her travel papers. 

Doji Natsuki, duly displeased with the display of Bayushi Korechika, heads to the place where Iyo and Kirame work, the Red Lotus House. While it does not carry the grandeur of the Great Houses of the island, it is a quaint and relaxing place, with an older ojisan (Pyoteru) running the kitchen - which is the main draw of the House, as even Shosuro Hyobu is known to drop by for their Lotus Buns.
Seeing potential, Natsuki invests into the place and will be on the lookout for more talents to add to the ranks.

Eventually the day winds to a conclusion and the group heads back to their dwelling, discussing how to help Doji Chi escape the conspiracies that seem to swirl about the City. 

They have a number of clear ideas of what to do still. They want to check out Hitsoyu Mura, they want to learn what Itoshi (the eta torturer) managed to learn from their Moon Clan prisoner and want to set up a meeting with Fade.   

Session 11: At the gates of the Floating World

 Party: Daidoji Jinsoku, Doji Natsuki, Hida Ganko, Togashi Amajino, Yoritomo Shohei

The party finds themselves escorting the Geisha Crescent back to Teardrop Island, while Matsu Mizuki heads off to seek out and cull further cult members. 

The group then heads to the Little Gate Pier, meeting a crew that works the ferries for Bayushi Korechika to get people to Teardrop Island, talking at length with Fang and Crescent about the happenings in and around the Island.
Arriving at the dock, the party calmly hands over their weapons to Kado, except for Jinsoku, who insists that he has to carry his sword with him. After diplomatic inquiry, Kado allows it if Jinsoku ties the blade to the scabbard.

Teardrop Island turns out to be an political hotbed, with guests being observed by both other samurai and those that walk the streets. Estimations are made and polite inquiry as to 'where' this group of magistrates are going are as much en vogue as with 'who' they are doing so. 

Seeing an opportunity with no less that FIVE new magistrates arriving, the party is approached by two Minarai who are in need for a Danna, a patron to sponsor their rise to full Geisha. The names they give are Iyo and Kirame, from the House of the Red Lotus. The girls focus their attention on Doji Natsuki, who promises to give due consideration to their offer.

Brash and obtrusive, Bayushi Otodo challenges Daidoji Jinsoku to a duel, with various bets being placed.
Already a little uneasy with the happenings of the past day, the party spies someone trying to influence the outcome and stops the interference, so the skill of the Kakita school prevails. Otodo is forced to accept the defeat at the hands of Jinsoku and leaves the scene.

Most of the party then spends some time being hosted by Crescent at the House of the Gilded Lillies, but Ganko enjoying the charms and favors of the House's Yujo in a different room. 

Session 10: Clear as the gaze of Lord Moon

Party: Hida Ganko / Yoritomo Shohei / Daidoji Jinsoku / Doji Natsuki / Togashi Amajino

The group decides to curtail the chaos of the city and the many distractions the City of Green Walls throws at them, and spends some time to sort through their current issues.

The following are pinpointed:

*How to solve the current sudden opium violence?

*Who killed the previous Emerald Magistrate (Ashidaka Naritoki)?

*How to save Doji Chi?

*What about Fade?

Ganko suspects that the opium issue is likely to be a family struggle in the Scorpion Clan, where the party may eventually be called upon to pick a side. 

Kakita Dozé (one of the few remaining original hires from Daidoji Jinsoku's wife) has found a group of three likely new candidates. As these appear to all be vapid teenage girls, Jinsoku impresses that their abilities will reflect on Dozé's ability to estimate talent. Dozé seems properly motivated to provide the youthful servants training and he will be judged within due time on the results.

Going through the paperwork, Shohei finds that the price of opium has jumped over night with the recent attacks. And most of the trading seems focused on acquiring whatever people can get from the poppy harvests.

The gang then heads to Shosuro Hyobu (after being picked up by their good friend Jocho and his Lightning Squad) and talk through the issues ahead of them. Oni, opium and Fade all get talked about, and Hyobu offers servants to support their household, should the new hires fail.
As the party leaves, Amajino and Ganko spy a paper crane flying away on the wind from Hyobu's window sill. Also, a portrait displaying Hyobu's late husband (Shosuro Akitada) in the entrance hall of the Shosuro Castle reminds Amajino strongly of Ganko.

Still plotting their next step, the gang then turns their attention to the Juniper Teahouse (run by the Soshi cartel-affiliated Moment's Edge Firemen), but decide to first head to the Shosuro compound that was raided yesterday. They find Bimyo, a merchant who seems to be more aware of things happening than they expected. A guard does cast a certain amount of doubt on whatever testimony Bimyo gave, painting him more as a sniveling coward than a brave servant of the Shosuro.

Leaving the compound, the gang bumps into a familiar face, the geisha Crescent (whom they first met at the Ryokan), being pursued by a gang of Moon Cult thugs. The group captures one and meets with a samurai-ko from the Lion clan. She urges the group to bring Crescent back to Teardrop Island as she seeks out more information on the Moon Cult and their targets.
The gang brings the surviving cultist back to the Shosuro compound to have him securely locked up and sets their sights on the Floating World.

Session 9: The Shelter of Osano-Wo

Party: Hida Ganko, Yoritomo Shohei, Doji Chi, Daidoji Jinsoku, Togashi Amajino.

The group reacted to the news of the opium store raids in the best way they could: they headed to the Temple of Osano-Wo (the Fortune of Fire and Thunder) to regroup with Yoritomo Shohei, but also grabbing Isawa Nagitoro (resident inquisitor) as a useful touchstone to figure out what they were dealing with in relation to Doji Chi.

Shohei-san was put to the question, oft repetitively by Ganko-san, and Kakita Michitaka (Cousin of Naritoki) gets called in to corroborate the story of Shohei-san.
Michitaka-san from his part, eager to help those who would fill the void left by the death of Naritoki, swears the group to secrecy before revealing Doji Chi's mother was Doji Tsuki, a powerful shugenja born outside of the Asahina family and a paramour who had gotten pregnant with Naritoki's child before the man came to perish. 
Astute as they are, the party links the name Tsuki to the Moon, as it is spelled with the same kanji, putting the Cult of Lord Moon back at the fore of their thoughts.

The short version of Shohei's tale (with additions by Michitaka) which was revealed is:

When, in the dead of night, an unknown person boarded the vessel of Shohei's father (who was ferrying a senior member of the Kakita family with a cargo of goods for the man's dojo), Shohei's father drew his blade and ran through the interloper, thinking them to be a bandit or saboteur. This bandit turned out to be Doji Chi's mother - carrying her baby away from the captivity at the hands of Bayushi Korechika.
The Kakita suggested that, in order to cleanse the stain off of the hands of his old man, Shohei should bring the child to safety and ensure she could grow up the way she would have with a proper family - in Ryoko Owari, Shohei would likely find her relatives among the magistrates.

Considering all of this, and the threat of the Moon Cult looming in his mind, Shohei-san passed on the young Crane to Nagitoro-san and Michitaka-san, making them vow to keep her safe and in the gaze of the Statue of Osano-Wo at all times.

The group then headed out to investigate Watchful's warehouse (Jittu is a known merchant vassal of the Soshi family). Jittu seems ... fidgety, but takes GREAT PAINS to assure the magistrates know she's in the clear with her possession and sale of poppies and medicinal opium.
With what she told the magistrates, and what their own investigations turn up, following pieces of evidence are... evident:

*A Netsuki shaped like a coiled Scorpion with one claw raised is found trampled on the ground. (it bears striking resemblance to the Bayushi family mon)
*One of the attackers rode a large black horse with a white star on its head.
*Three guards were struck down, one from behind.
*The thieves piled a lot of the opium in a boat that was moored nearby and some of them sailed down the river to escape, while the others rode off on their horses.
*The Thunder Guard was not at the scene of the crime.

After this, the group decided to invite themselves (thanks to Doji Natsuki) to the wounded Ide Asamitsu and talk with him about the ronin Fade, whom they expected to have Unicorn Clan ties.
They did not get a lot of new information, but shared a pleasant talk with their host, leaving with the feeling that they had done well for the way the Unicorn viewed them.

At the end of day, Hida Ganko -with the party's blessing- went to place a short note at the Moon Caves for Fade to find, inviting him to reveal a meeting place to talk.

Session 8: Within these walls lies not safety

 Party: Daidoji Jinsoku, Doji Natsuki, Hida Ganko, Togashi Amajino, Yoritomo Shohei

The party rushes in to find a large Oni stained with the blood of Flower in their house. A trail of blood leads from the basement (where the suspect was tortured) to the bedroom of Yoritomo Shohei, where Flower had gone to pick up some blankets for Doji Chi (who was passed into the care of Ashidaka Michitaka, the brother of Chi's suspected father). It keeps repeating "Chi chiii chiiiiiiiiiii" over and over, causing Shohei great worry. 

They set about defeating it, with various moments of individual heroism between the samurai. As the Oni is knocked down, the group spies a red-robed individual outside and a quick split occurs: Daidoji Jinsoku, Hida Ganko and Togashi Amajino seek to capture their suspected tormentor, while Yoritomo Shohei seeks to find Doji Chi and assure himself of her safety, before bringing her back to the Temple of Osano-Wo. Doji Natsuki initially starts after the suspicious person too, but seeing as how the bushi are on it, she returns inside. There, she finds the Oni still breathing and spends some time cutting off its head.
Then she proceeds downstairs to find Itoshi (the torturer) still in the holding cell, alive but injured, and he explains when the others arrive what happened. Which is to say, the prisoner turned into the Oni they defeated.

Hida Ganko receives an invitation from Shosuro Hyobu, informing him he would be most welcome in three days at her residence for a talk about the city.
A messenger also arrives from the Temple of Osano-Wo, informing the party that Yoritomo Shohei has taken up residence there. 

And then all hell breaks loose, as apparently THREE opium locations in and around Ryoko Owari have been attacked while the party was occupied otherwise.
The Bayushi holding of Necessary Village was raided and plundered.
The Shosuro warehouse is robbed by day.
The Soshi warehouse near the river is literally attacked by people in black clothes, who sail off with a lot of the stored content...