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, 24 March 2008
I am playing out of the Hall of Ancestors stronghold. I control a Samarhad.
The Portals Open has resolved, so now my dead Ratling Personality is also Lion Clan.
I play Samarhad's ability and gain control over a personality. Then I use the Hall of the Ancestors ability to give the stolen personality the Ratling trait.
Will I have to give the personality back to its owner (or former controller) when the turn ends?
a) When Samarhad's delayed effect triggers, the stolen personality is no longer a Ratling because the Hall of Ancestors ability has already ended -> Yes b) The delayed effect checks if the personality is a Ratling before the duration of the Hall of Ancestors ability ends -> No c) The active player decides, which means I decide
Please I'd like to know also if there's any difference between "until the turn ends" or "at the end of the turn" or they refer exactly to the same timing point.
Samarhad reads: Ratling • Nonhuman • Ashalan • Sun-Rider • Experienced • Unique Open: Bow Samarhad: Take control of a target Personality without his controller's Clan alignment. Straighten him. At the end of the turn, if he is not Ratling, return control of him to the player you took him from.
The Hall of Ancestors reads: Dead Personalities you own can not be removed from the game. Battle/Open: One of your target Personalities copies an ability or keyword from a target dead Lion Clan Personality you own (until the turn ends).
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 24 March 2008
I am playing out of the Hall of Ancestors stronghold. I control a Samarhad. The Portals Open has resolved, so now my dead Ratling Personality is also Lion Clan. I play Samarhad's ability and gain control over a personality. Then I use the Hall of the Ancestors ability to give the stolen personality the Ratling trait. Will I have to give the personality back to its owner (or former controller) when the turn ends?
Yes.
http://rules.l5r.com/Timing: "If two or more reactions, triggered traits, or rules procedures are triggered at the same point in time, follow this sequence from A through F to resolve their order. ...
"C. Apply any triggered rulebook effects that are not part of actions(.)" That's the expiration of the copying effect from The Hall of Ancestors, which occurs due to rules text. Remember, the text in parentheses is just a reminder (http://rules.l5r.com/Card_features#Reminder_text).
"D. Apply any delayed effects that resolved previously and are timed to the trigger(.)" That's Samarhad.
A Personality will lose a copied Ratling trait before Samahad checks for it.