A topic from AEG's L5R CCG Rules forum, copied for Oracle of the Void from a copy of the forum saved in October 2015, so pages it didn't save are missing. Players' names are left out; the rules officials are named. Rulings are as they stood on these dates; later rulings, the rulebooks and the Rules Archive may differ.
A player, 21 March 2013
Situation: Kuroiban Compound is a face-down Ninja. It performs Sly Deceiver or another action which copies abilities or keywords. When it gets turned back into a face-up Holding, does it keep the copied abilities and keywords?
Does this memory go away if it dies as a Personality? The Ninjutsu rules state that Personalities cannot be face-down in the discard pile, so it will never be face-down and out of play. My guess would be no.
Open: Turn this card face-down: Until it leaves play or is turned face up, this card is a 2F/3C/0PH Ninja Personality with an Honor requirement of "-" and a Gold Cost of 4. After it turns face-up, it returns to your home as a Holding; after it does so, bow it.
The Personality retains all ongoing effects when turning in either direction.
Jon Palmer (rules official), 2 April 2013
Situation: Kuroiban Compound is a face-down Ninja. It performs Sly Deceiver or another action which copies abilities or keywords. When it gets turned back into a face-up Holding, does it keep the copied abilities and keywords?
Does this memory go away if it dies as a Personality? The Ninjutsu rules state that Personalities cannot be face-down in the discard pile, so it will never be face-down and out of play. My guess would be no.
Yes, the holding will keep the abilities it gained via Sly Deceiver, and will also keep them when it becomes a Personality again. If this leads to any situations generally not covered by the rules (a holding gaining the ability to assign while bowed, for instance, when holdings can't normally assign) they will not work while it is a holding as these do not specifically override the rules.