Gonna need to put a wee bit more to comment on Muro :P

Hmmmm... maybe a family that greatly values their "pure" lineage, descended from an extremely intelligent noble known for having a ferocious temper. So much that descendants are forbidden from marrying "outsiders"; hence, the results of hundreds of years of inbreeding is becoming more evident with each generation. Surprisingly, the women show no adverse signs; in fact they are all quite beautiful. The men, on the other hand, grow more and more deeply depraved; the original trait for a "hot temper" has grown through each generation of men. The current generation possesses a wolflike cunning coupled with a seething desire for violence; hence they all are constantly using the vast family wealth to hatch all sorts of vile mayhem upon their enemies as well as each other.

Slart--right on brother! :) not my idea for this, but a dang good one!

My idea stemmed from a conversation with an 'old world' grandparent recently. The person threw out the following old saying/cliche: "The child should always be stronger, faster, smarter, "better", than the parent."

I wanted to take that idea literally and expand upon it. A family where each successive child IS actually smarter than the parent. The thought disturbed me enough that I thought it would make a cool sub.

Now then, this isnt supposed to be under advice requested, it is supposed to be a regular hidden in-work, but i screwed up.

Alas, looking again at what you came up with from the one tag-line, I may combine your idea with mine :) Good stuff and thanks again for the thought!