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.
Does a Personality in my army destroyed before I play a Fields of Mercy count for the maximum of the Fields of Mercy (i.e. no other personalities can be destroyed in my army as long as the Fields of Mercy is in play)?
Fields of Mercy Immediate Terrain Battle: At most one Personality may be destroyed per army by card effects. [Mod edit: Thread title. -ZF]
Does a Personality in my army destroyed before I play a Fields of Mercy count for the maximum of the Fields of Mercy (i.e. no other personalities can be destroyed in my army as long as the Fields of Mercy is in play)?
Fields of Mercy Immediate Terrain Battle: At most one Personality may be destroyed per army by card effects. [Mod edit: Thread title. -ZF]
No. Its effect only counts destruction while it is in play.