Y'know, I thought I mentioned that.
How all the Val'Emman the Val'Virdan had a grudge with were dead?
Or has there been an update and the neo-Val'Emman are being jerks again?
I don't remember exactly how the Mentagi worked, but I vaguely recall that it wasn't like a psychic vault for the minds of the dead Val'Emman leadership.

Makes an interesting contrast for those times when charges are leveled at the Elorii that they're being unjust for holding a grudge against the PoM. The Pantheon devoured the Elemental Lords, and are still alive. The Val'Virdan nurse a grudge against the Val'Emman, who're long dead.

There was the occupation of Nishampur and the rampage of Leonidas, as well as declaring for Calcestus during the civil war. The latter's not so damning as who chose what side why was quite complex -IIRC the Val'Bordas stood on both sides of the insurrection at one point.
And frankly, when your long-awaited savior figure arrives there's not much saying no. If memory serves the Sisters of Nier were the reason the Cancerese Val'Virdan split at all. The Val'Emman might not have re-emerged at all if they hadn't done so, even with the mentagi's recovery.
That the Sword didn't order Nishampur razed was remarkable, and the occupation wasn't worse then anything Canceri does to itself regularly.

val'Abebi - twice they asked for a Gift of Althares, twice it came back to bite them. The first time the entire human nation came at them to prevent them from living above everyone else with their airships and air cities. The second time they drew the attention of the Ssethregoran Empire as enemies and the Coryani and conquers.
val'Assante - their entire line is birthed from a fallen Valinor, that nearly destroyed the world out of pride.
val'Borda - their God and their lives are dedicated to doing what no one else is willing to do. The Dark Hand. This is one family no one wants to be around when the Conscious of Cadic dies.
val'Dellenov - They have strong connections to heretical practices of bestial transformation. When they ruled the Corayni Empire the Emperor was declared Mad and killed.
val'Emman - They may have given the val'Virdans the reputation of being reckless and hot headed. And in the distant past they kicked the val'Virdens to the outer edge of the Empire.
val'Holryn - the only unique ability they are known to have is mimicry. They are always working hard to prove themselves. It is because they are the best or because they have something to hide?
val'Inares - Their God isn't a human god. They aren't human. If everyone found out they'd be killed. The Yigites already know and kill them. Talk about a rock and hard place.
val'Ishi - any one hear of the Greay Crones. Let me remind you about the women who use souls to make tools, and believe that killing people and putting the back into the Cauldron is the best way to find the good ones.
val'Mehan - Untrusted every where, heck when we fight evil val, 50% of the time it's val'Mehan because they deal with demons.
val'Mordane - the other 50% is val'Mordane because they deal with undead. It's like if you have extended family in Canceri everyone is just waiting for you to turn on them. Oh yeah when the val'Mordane were ruling the First Imperium there was a huge revolt against them for bad managment.
val'Ossan - they are literally drawn to their heresy. Seriously they have to make checks against not succumbing to it. This family is suppose to help you when around water. They can't even fight their own cults because in their blood those ideas feel right.
val'Sheem - promiscuous, flirty, home wreckers, and other not so nice words. Call them what you will, but every val'Sheem either has to embrace the family stereotypes or fight them. And don't forget the Lady of Thorns and her 69 Act of Debauchery.
val'Tensen - talk about screwing up, they damned their entire family because they can't agree on who they should follow. First they separated their family by half staying with the Coryani Emperor and the rest joining Milander's King. And now they can't pick a leader to reunite their family.
val'Virdan - They single handedly destroyed the First Imperium, they tried to kill off another val family, the Erdukene give a bad name the same way the Canceri do to the val'Mehan, and val'Mordane

You guys are right all the families have baggage, or as I like to say, they all have colorful histories that make for great reading. You can play any family and have a good time fighting, or embracing the skeletons in your family's closest. One thing I really enjoyed about the old campaign is that they touched a little on each family's past. I hope the new stories continue doing that.

Story wise probably the val'Emman or val'Holyrn. I love the order of the Phoenix book. However I could not build one I liked mechanically.
Now Mechanically I like a val'Mehan sorcerer-priest of Sarish Combination. I mean to be able to cast spells at a plus 9 early on in Teir 1 is nothing to sneer at.
My favorite is the val'Delanov. I LOVE their bloodline powers. I also love their Heritage spells. They have a decently interesting back story. But more importantly I find them the most easy to create an interesting backstory for each character.

[edited because of my terrible grammar and the fact it is hard to type when you only have access to an iPhone in he back of a SUV going 85 mi hr down a highway weaving in and out of traffic]

....somehow I forgot about the Val'Holryn.
They deserve an honorable mention for certain for usually doing something important, and usually fairly decent as well.