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, 8 July 2007
In samurai edition rules page35:
RULE OF PRESENCE
To legally take any Battle action, you must control a unit at the current battlefield.
RULE OF LOCATION
Cards in units must be at the current battlefield to be legally targeted by a Battle Action; likewise, to legally take a Battle action from a card in a unit, the unit must be at the current battlefield.
Exception: Actions that say they can move a unit to the current battlefield are legal if Presence and Location will be satisfied with the unit there. In this case, choices about movement effects must then be made to satisfy both Presence and Location, if possible.
With earthen Guardians' ability:
Earth Battle: Bow this Shugenja, even if he is not at the current battlefield: Create a Nonhuman Earth Personality in your current army with 3F/1C, or 5F/1C if your Shugenja has the Earth keyword,and the trait, "Can not be destroyed to pay costs." After this turn ends, remove this Personality from the game.
Does this also satisfy the exception for rule of presence?
Chris Fuchs (rules official), 9 July 2007
In samurai edition rules page35:
RULE OF PRESENCE
To legally take any Battle action, you must control a unit at the current battlefield.
RULE OF LOCATION
Cards in units must be at the current battlefield to be legally targeted by a Battle Action; likewise, to legally take a Battle action from a card in a unit, the unit must be at the current battlefield.
Exception: Actions that say they can move a unit to the current battlefield are legal if Presence and Location will be satisfied with the unit there. In this case, choices about movement effects must then be made to satisfy both Presence and Location, if possible.
With earthen Guardians' ability:
Earth Battle: Bow this Shugenja, even if he is not at the current battlefield: Create a Nonhuman Earth Personality in your current army with 3F/1C, or 5F/1C if your Shugenja has the Earth keyword,and the trait, "Can not be destroyed to pay costs." After this turn ends, remove this Personality from the game.
Does this also satisfy the exception for rule of presence?
No. Creating a personality is not moving.
Yes, this was changed on purpose.