Granted it was not in the Garnian heartlands, but it was Garnia. We set up to try out my draft Oriental Adventures rules in the empire of Tenchuko and, after guiding everyone through the still somewhat lengthy OA character generation rules, we actually got to play some.
The party are all retainers of lord Asano, and he needs to retrieve the lost battle standard of the Asano clan before the Shogun's visit. The characters all have complex relationships to lord Asano. One is a Samurai from the Niwa family that was really kind of screwed over by the Asano a few generations back, but they are hereditary retainers and still serve them. One is married to Lord Asano's older brother, and is a member of his counter-intelligence service. One is his first cousin. One is a Sohei from a monastery that is heavily funded by lord Asano.
Making matters more complex, and I love to do that, Lord Asano is not a great lord, he is young and not terribly fit for the job. He over compensates by being overly harsh a disciplinarian and lavishly supporting the Pure Land sect. He also gambles away his fortune and is a notorious womanizer. If the party fails in their mission though, the entire clan will suffer.
Complicating matters is the fact that the banner in question is being held by an enemy clan, the Takeda, and there is the matter of the salt trade, possibly the opium trade and an unrevealed rival family that wants to see the Asano fall.
