Chronicles of a Topaz Champion

This is the cliff notes of a game I run when I get to go home to Pensacola, FL.

Players
-(Dawn) Bayushi Shugenja
-(Dan) Akodo Bushi
-(Paul) Kakita Bushi
-(PJ) Togashi Monk
-(Josh) Shiba Bushi

Plot - The Shadow Dragon is gathering power again, but just knows that a young rokugani about to go through their gempukku is going to stop that from happening. The Shadow Dragon by sending out proxies lead by a loyal servant Mirumoto Tyru to hire Bandits to kill any contestant they find during the race through the forest during the competition.

Followed by NPC's from various Great Clans:

Crab - Hida Kawada & Yasuki Amaya
Crane - Doji Kin & Daidoji Cho
Dragon - Mirumoto Masakazu
Lion - Kitsu Taku
Mantis - Yoritomo Suki
Unicorn - Moto Ming-Wu & Utaku Haya
Minor Clans - Toku Kisho & Suzume Etsu

Different
PC's arrived to the tournament with a wide variety of other samurai
from other Clans. The organizers thought this would give the contestants
a chance to meet and be around other people with different minor
cultures than their own. They arrive go through all the opening
ceremonies. The judges running the tournament are:

Crane - Doji Yasuyo & Kakita Tasaka (Kakita Hanato's Sensei)
Imperial - Seppun Ryu

ACT 1 (cliff notes)

-Etiquette Competition (Both Crabs beat out everyone else)

-Art Competition (Crane PC scored the lowest) I also actually made the PC's write Haiku's

-Lore Competition (heraldry the only PC that knew anything was the Shiba)

-Horsemanship (Yoritomo Suki botched and rode her horse in reverse)

-Kyujutsu (came down to a dead tie between Utaku Haya and the Shiba PC)

-Kenjutsu display (Once again a tie between the Shiba and Utaku Haya)

-Race: each competitor was teamed up with 1 other person they had to run into the forest and retrieve one of the small fish in the small springs throughout the forest then return as fast as they could. This is where the attack occured. Bandits / ronin attacking the comp editors as soon as they entered and started looking for the fish. They were attacked in groups (3-4 ronin) vs 2 contestants. Some of the other contestants finished off there attackers fast then lended aid to others. One PC the Scorp communed with some water spirits and the spirits were afraid of something they just referred to as Akodo. 2 PC's met a spirit woman *shadow dragon disguised* the Togashi and the Kakita and she implored them for aid for information. they both agreed and this started to slowly fall to joining the Shadow Dragon. After the race the crane were responsible for this and had to give reprimands. They continued into the final competition, Iajutsu competition. The Crane PC ended up winning *kakita ancestor ftw*. the end results were Utaku Haya would have won but she conceded because she couldn't keep her team mate safe from the ronin, she felt unworthy of the title. The Crane PC ended up winning the title and had a visit from Togashi Satsu telling him as the Topaz Champion the empress was charging him with the elimination of bandits and murderers during this time of crisis.

If you'd like man, I can make a sub-forum for your campaign that the players can post their recaps/journals/thoughts in if necessary.