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, 18 November 2009
The Rulebook gives the Player the ability: Reaction: Any number of times per turn, before you lose Honor from an action that targeted or was performed by on of your Courtier or Samurai personalities: he commits Seppuku. If the Seppuku destroyed him, reduce the honor loss to one.
Can this reaction be used to reduce the Honor loss caused by the destruction of a dishonored Samurai or Courtier? When does the honor loss occur when dishonored personality is destroyed? Before the destruction or after it?
Also if a dishonored Samurai or Courtier is sent home or destroyed while in battle, and multiple copies of Shame Never Dies are played as a result, and the Personality's controler decides to have that Personality commit Seppuku, what happens? Can each instance of Shane Never Dies be reduced to one, or just the instance where the reaction was performed?
Zen Faulkes (rules official), 18 November 2009
Can this reaction be used to reducee the Honor loss caused by the destruction of a dishonored Samurai or Courtier?
No.The honor loss from a dishonorable Personality dying comes from the rulebook, not an action.
Additionally, since seppuku is ritual suicide, it stands to reason that you cannot order a dead personality to commit suicide.
When does the honor loss occur when dishonored personality is destroyed? Before the destruction or after it?
It occurs at the time in would normally occur, which will mean after the reaction resolves.