What faction is most appealing to new players?

[Tenebrion]

Okay, I have a question question that I want to ask in regards to factions. To preface this post, however, I'd like to say that I'm asking this specifically to help decide which faction to get my wife to play first. In short, she's refused to play Dominions 3 for a few months, mostly due to the poor graphics, but I've finally convinced her to give the game a try.

So, here's the question : What faction do you think would appeal most to a non Dominion's player, and why? What factions would you say are the easiest for newbies to play, are the most visually stimulating, are the most diverse, are the most representative of the Dominion's 3 playstyle, etc.

This is an open ended question, and I'd love to also hear about what kind of pretenders are good for first time players, and what magic choices are fun.

Hopefully, together, we can convert my wife into being as much a fan of this game as I am.