Lin Kuei Clan

The Lin Kuei Clan (Chinese language: 林鬼; pinyin: Lín Guǐ; literally "Forest Demons") is a faction from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. The clan includes assassins such as the Elder Sub-Zero, the Younger Sub-Zero, Cyrax, Sektor, Smoke, and Frost.

Info
"No one leaves the Lin Kuei..."

- Sektor

The Lin Kuei are based loosely on the ancient Chinese clan of the same name, much like the infamous Black Dragon Society (Kokuryūkai) of Japan was used for Kabal's Black Dragon Clan. They have become one of the most prominent and well-known factions within the Chinese country, and they have played a major role throughout the history of the MK series. Though it has gradually shifted from being a sinister force into a friendly power, it has always remained very reclusive. To gamers, its history has always been intertwined with the adventures of both Sub-Zero brothers. According to one episode of Mortal Kombat: Conquest, friendship is forbidden in the Lin Kuei, as they consider it a warrior's flaw, and thus trust is only given to the group. Also in that same series, wanting to leave the clan is equivalent to treason and is punishable by death.

"Somewhere in the northern most parts of Asia, there exists a secret clan of assassins and thieves known as the Lin Kuei. This group has existed for years and thrives on the evil intention of the people who pay for their services. Its warriors are chosen at birth to be raised apart from the workings of day to day civilisation and are stripped of their former lives. Only the clan knows their existence. Each of them posses certain skills and abilities that set them apart from normal men. These abilities are passed on from generation to generation and honed throughout the experiences of life. Certain Lin Kuei warriors possess supernatural abilities including those that commune with nature. They had rivals of smaller assassin clans in the icy lands of Arctica called the Tengu Clan and Snow Ninja."

- Godfrey about the Lin Kuei

History
It is known that the Lin Kuei were founded in the 1912, and their earliest chronological appearance in the Mortal Kombat games begins with Mortal Kombat: Sub-Zero, where the younger Sub-Zero, a Lin Kuei clansman, was its title character. In the game bearing his name, the sorcerer Quan Chi hired the Lin Kuei to find an ancient amulet, and Sub-Zero was sent to find the map leading to its location. He did not know that Quan Chi had hired a Japanese ninja, Scorpion, for the same task in case Sub-Zero would fail. Scorpion and Sub-Zero encountered each other in the map room, where Sub-Zero killed him in cold blood. After Sub-Zero delivered the map, Quan Chi made good on a promise to the Lin Kuei Grandmaster; the rival Shirai Ryu Clan, was wiped out.

Shinnok's amulet
The Lin Kuei Clan demonstrated their mercenary nature here when they inadvertently placed the Earth in danger for personal gain. After retrieving the map, Sub-Zero was hired again for another mission. This time, he was to follow the directions on the map to the hidden Temple of Elements, wherein an amulet (supposedly Quan Chi's) was kept. Defeating the four elemental god-guardians in the temple, he found the amulet. Quan Chi took the amulet, revealing that it is actually Shinnok's amulet, capable of freeing the fallen God from the Never Land and allowing him to take over all planets. Raiden, who had placed the amulet in the temple in the first place to protect it from the likes of Quan Chi, appeared and ordered Sub-Zero to rectify his mistake. Sub-Zero reluctantly agreed and was transported to the Never Land. There, he tracked down Quan, and, with the help of the demon Sereena, he was able to steal the amulet back from Shinnok before he could use it. He then escaped to Earth via Raiden's portal. It is later revealed that Quan Chi had never given the amulet to Shinnok; instead, he had crafted a fake and kept the original for himself. This was crucial to the events of Mortal Kombat 4 and its sequels.

Sub-Zero's last mission
Immediately after returning from his mission, Sub-Zero was hired by Shang Tsung to compete in his Mortal Kombat tournament. This takes place during the first game. Though the Lin Kuei agreed to this, someone else paid the Lin Kuei to assassinate Shang Tsung, to which they also agreed. Sub-Zero was unsuccessful as evidenced by Liu Kang's victory in the tournament for Earth, and Tsung's survival. During this tournament, Scorpion by mistake killed Bi-Han, the elder Sub-Zero he mistook for the originl one in retribution for his own murder. Han's soul descended into the Never Land, where he was stripped of his humanity and became Noob Sailbot. This was only revealed years later in Mortal Kombat: Return of The Dragon King.

Younger Sub-Zero and Smoke
Despite losing, Shang survived the first tournament and organized a second tournament in Outworld as a trap for the Earth's warriors. This time elder Sub-Zero was sent to kill him, it was actually Bi-Han's younger brother who was sent as a replacement and assumed the same code-name to honour his brother. Presumably, this also explains Smoke's presence in the tournament. He was a friend and close ally of the younger Sub-Zero. Shang Tsung survived again, and Sub-Zero and Smoke returned home empty-handed.

In Mortal Kombat 3 and its follow-ups, the Lin Kuei have a much greater role. In the events leading up to Shao Kahn's invasion of Earth, the Lin Kuei Clan have begun a program of turning their clansmen into robots. The first to volunteer for this program was Sektor, also referred to as LK-9T9. He is notable for being the only one of the robots to be consistently described as soulless for the rest of the series. Second was Cyrax, also known as robot LK-4D4. The younger Sub-Zero and Smoke were in-line as well to be converted. Likely considering this a fate worse than death, the two fled their clan, an act equivalent to treason. Sektor and Cyrax were sent to capture them and return them to headquarters. While Sub-Zero escaped, Smoke was captured and transformed into the third (and last) robotic warrior: Robot LK-7T2.

Shortly thereafter, Shao Kahn finally began his invasion of Earth. Sub-Zero and Smoke had been previously marked as chosen warriors of Raiden, and their souls were spared. Sektor had no soul to take and generally stays true to his original mission of killing Sub-Zero, but fails. Cyrax ends the game trapped in a desert. Smoke is later shown to have been employed by Shao Kahn at some point, later revealed in Mortal Kombat: Deception. Noob Sailbot also appears on Shao's side, at least initially. In Mortal Kombat 4, he is mentioned as serving under Shinnok in the Never Never Land for the first time. The rest of the Lin Kuei are assumed to have their souls taken by Shao Kahn, but later restored along with the rest of the world's souls when Shao is defeated.

Most likely due to Sub-Zero's successful escape from the clan following the events of Mortal Kombat 4, the Lin Kuei Clan lost many of its members before Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, and is initially even described as "disbanded". Perhaps it explains their attempts to have Sub-Zero killed, because they blamed him for their troubles. Cyrax, whose soul had begun to reassert itself, was recovered from the desert by the Lin Kuei to give him another chance to hunt Sub-Zero under the surveillance of Sektor, but instead sought out the help of Sonya Blade and Jax Briggs (both from the Outer World Investigation Agency), who helped restore his memories and former self.

Sub-Zero was confronted by Scorpion. In Scorpion's ending, confirmed by the info of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, shows that, after finally defeating Sub-Zero, Quan Chi reveals that he was the one truly responsible for the death of Scorpion's family and clan, while also indirectly responsible for Scorpion's own death. Scorpion responded by taking Quan Chi with him to the Never Never Land.

Reformation
The storyline between MK4 and Deadly Alliance revealed some significant changes to the Lin Kuei and their history. During the events of 4, Sektor's programming became corrupt and he attacked and killed the Lin Kuei Grandmaster. Sektor attempted to turn himself Grandmaster by taking possession of a hitherto unmentioned Dragon Medallion, whose possession determines the leadership of the Lin Kuei, as well as increase its wearer's powers. However, Sektor was prevented from taking the Medallion by a returning Sub-Zero, who fought him over the clan's leadership and won. Sektor fled to Japan, and Sub-Zero assumed the title of Grandmaster himself.

Sub-Zero implemented a number of changes to the clan. He moved the Lin Kuei headquarters from its original secretive location in China to an ancient temple he had discovered buried in the icy region of Arctica. He also changed the mission of the Lin Kuei, making it a force for the side of good for the first time. He began recruiting new warriors to replenish the Lin Kuei Clan's depleted ranks. Among these efforts was a tournament, the winner of which would be introduced into the clan. The winner was Frost, a brash young woman with powers remarkably similar to Sub-Zero's own ice-controlling abilities. Frost becomes Sub-Zero's personal student, another exceptional event. He was able to teach her new ways to use her powers, but failed to quell her sense of arrogance and ambition. Around this time, Sonya attempted to contact the Lin Kuei at some point, perhaps in an effort to open relations between the Outer World Investigation Agency and the Lin Kuei. However, she was prevented from doing so by an overzealous Frost.

Journey into Outworld
Raiden sought the help of Sub-Zero to fight the Deadly Alliance and he brought Frost with him. While in Outworld, Frost turned against Sub-Zero and attempted to steal the Dragon Medallion from him. Though initially successful, she was consumed by her own freezing ability. His troubles with Frost saved him from a worse fate, as the four other Earth warriors and Kitana died at the hands of the Deadly Alliance.

After Frost's apparent death, Sub-Zero searched for a place to bury her and found the ruins of an extinct civilisation: the Cryomancers. They were a people who could control the powers of ice and cold. Sub-Zero inferred that he and Frost both were descendants of this race. He also found an ancient armour in the tomb, and donned it. Sub-Zero decided it would be best to head back to Earth after the Deadly Alliance were defeated by the even more sinister Onaga. On his way to a portal, he encountered Kenshi, who was badly wounded. The two decided to travel together. Along his travelling path, Sub-Zero had killed many Tarkatan warriors, drawing attention from Onaga and his zealous enforcer, Hotaru. Once again, the Grandmaster found himself tailed and marked for death. Later it was revealed that Sub-Zero also encountered Sereena in Outworld. He offered her asylum within the Lin Kuei for helping his older brother in the Never Land many years before.

As described in Mortal Kombat: Return of The Dragon King, upon his return to the clan's temple in Arctica, Sub-Zero found that Frost had awakened and returned to slay him. However, in her delirium, she saw Sub-Zero everywhere, and had already killed many members of the Lin Kuei. Sub-Zero froze her and placed her body on an alter, sealing off the room with a wall of ice until she can one day recover.

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