Good question.  The Rites background is prohibitively expensive for what it does.  The explanation i always got was that it was geared towards beginning characters.  Rites don't cost experience points.  You just go to an elder and ask him to teach you.  There's an RP opportunity, maybe a reason for a mission.<br/><br/>If the GM wants to rule that way I can go with it, but it really is.  Say I use my last five freebie points to get rites.  I'll learn 5 levels of rites for the same investment that could make my character phenomenally wealthy, or give me dozens of kinfolk retainers.