The Risefall Family

For the distinct and powerful families, clans and gatherings of people throughout The Universe, there is nothing more widespread and versatile than the Risefall Family. The members of the family rarely know of their true origin, if not never learn from it in the first place. Those that are fortunate to receive a chance to earn an heirloom of this family will be pushed into one of the most infuriating task of competing with many of your age from the family.

The (Un)Fortunate Letter
Most of the Risefall members know of their true heritage when they receive a letter that invites them to visit the Risefall Manor at The Market, at which point you learn the truth of the family and their powers. You become one of the most notorious assassins across the Universe. While this seems to be a wonderful invitation for many of your blood, only two or three out of one generation may become one. For those that enter the manor and accepted this chance, it means that you will either become an assassin or die trying.

The first challenge is to compete against all of your (roughly) same-aged brothers and sisters in blood. It is a marathon of death, in which you race to retrieve an heirloom from the cursed basement of the manor. The endless maze takes lives on its own. The siblings with you inside will fight you for it. Should you be lucky enough to survive the traps and earn your place, you have earned your seat in the family...

The Training or the Deletion
By then, roughly six to eight are left of your siblings, including yourself. You receive a training that will drive you through the edge of the possible, allowing your body to withstand massive pressure, injuries and troubles that a normal body of any Being could not hold up against. However, the moment you fail one of the training sessions, you will fail everything. As punishment, your mind will be erased and you become one of the servants of the family, either tasked to guard the manor, keep it in shape OR be one of the Carriers; those that allow new members to be born.

In the slight chance you end up as one of the last trainees of the assassin training, you will fight to the death against the rest of your siblings until only two are left. Sometimes, the exception of having a third one survive are given, but there are not so many fortunate to lay on the ground, meeting their approaching end, only to be stopped by the older members of the family.

Nevertheless, those that have withstood the whole ordeal may call themselves True Assassins and become available and stealthy killers for the Universe, if the payment is more than right.

Behind the Shadows
There are some things that have gone right and wrong in the family that made them go the path they have been set upon, most noteworthy the affiliation with Noosphear that the elders of the family have. The God put up a contract that this family would receive its powers of assassination with the Souls of the fallen siblings, carrying the burden of having the blood of the family on their hands.