Val'Emman is certainly one that sticks out to me. That started in the old D&D days because they (Val'Virdan at the time) were the first I'd seen bring back infravision, which i always thought was both logical and cool. It has stayed with me and migrated to the Emman side of the family as their family story is very compelling to me.

In the new iteration of the game I've found the outcast wanderer nature of the Val'Inares appealing. As I've learned more about them it has made me want to play one on the cusp of transformation.

Val'Borda appeal to me as well. I've always seen them in a light similar to "The Operative" from Serenity. They are the ones doing horrible things to make the world a better place.

Val'Ossan and Val'Tensen have that elemental feel I like, though their powers seem more lackluster or not quite fitting the concepts I come up with for them. Though I still dream of the day the adventures have some major bodies of water and I can use a Val'Ossan to full effect.

I've got a Val'Mordane, but that family was chosen for it's apparent prominence at the nexus of Least Popular and Least Useful.

Val'Emman, I suppose. All the ferocity and martial prowess of the Val'Virdan, none of the baggage.

None of the baggage?!?

That's almost enough to knock me over with a feather. It is true that the val'Emman lack a stronghold in the perennially morally a challenged climate of Canceri - You do miss some baggage there. And you would have the missed the "best" parts of Erdukeen exuberance in the occupation of ... again morally challenged ... Canceri in the last campaign. Still!

There are barely more twists and turns in a bag of snakes than the ups and downs of the relations between the val Emman and the val Virdan. And in that history the val'Emman have been the persecutors as often as the persecuted. Maybe more...thevalEmman have historically been much more likely to be working with other authorities than taking principled stands.

No baggage? Look more closely under the fancy red cloak.

Definitely val'Emman for me. Their backstory certainly is part of the reason, but mostly I'm just a fan of their bloodline powers. I've always been drawn to high mobility builds (although for some reason neither of my current characters are high pace), and their powers certainly lean in that direction. It seems like any system I play I'm also drawn to fire worshippers for some reason, so that is another plus. I've always been interested in the 'cleansing flame' aspect of Nier.

I'm excited to be rebuilding Crash val'Emman as a result of the Kickstarter. I'm curious to see how true I'll be able to be to the original character...and of course I'm looking forward to seeing the 'crunch' in the new book, for that purpose. This is off topic for this thread however. I vote val'Emman.

The Val'Emman stood with The Rebels.
The Val'Emman have no tradition of raiding and slaving.
The Val'Emman were no part of the return of the Sword of the Heavens.

That is, for a Val family, incredibly clean hands. As far as I'm concerned, any Val'Emman I deal with have no relation to the family that oppressed the Val'Virdan.
That history is dead. It's fortresses are pillaged. It's lands are salted. It's cities are in ruins. Besides the Mentagi, no element or person of it's culture remains. There is literally no material connection between the Val'Emman who locked collars around the throats of their kin, and the ones running an inn in Enpebyn.
Right or wrong, the Val'Virdan were correct in thinking they'd exterminated their cruel siblings once and for all until that strange expedition into the Corlathians.
So, no. None of the baggage.

They have an impossibly rare chance too start over, and Phaia certainly prays they make the best of it.

I think the val'Virdan may disagree with you on the whole "never slaving" thing

I made a val'Dellenov because I liked them so much from the first campaign and their world history. They did some awesome political/fundamental control things in the first couple years of the original campaign arc.

I'm an outdoorsy person so that 'nature' aspect of their deity was also appealing. The rules of the system make the spear one of the more interesting weapons, and that really fits thematically for the character concept I was coming up with, a warrior that can be effective in most all environments, one that has some very 'feral' aspects.

I also think the val'Del powers are fantastic for a warrior type, unarmed is such a fantastic melee mode for so many reasons/situations.

Lastly (but not least), the role-playing options for me came together nicely. Being a pretty high-rank bloodline powered male in a female dominated 'family' has some interesting options.

Then as usual they'd be picking a pointless fight because either A) it's only my perspective or B) I'm not wrong.

Whether this is a player or character vantage point, the answer here is A, because you are, in fact, wrong. It's pretty much the reason the entire line was almost exterminated.

All Val lines carry baggage, though in all fairness the val'Emman of modern time carry far LESS in the minds of others. It should be noted, however, that the reputation the val'Virdan got for their recklessness and hot-headedness has been traced to the val'Emman which were masquerading as val'Virdan. As such, while they haven't done much (officially) recently, they still DO have a reputation.