House Zahir is perhaps the most universally reviled and hated of the Noble family lines. Known also as the House of Vipers and the Serpent Nest, House Zahir saw its reputation tarnished during the First Wildling War when Goram Zahir - an ambitious Nobleman who wanted Fastheld's throne - struck a personal alliance with the Wildlings and betrayed his own people along the shore of the Fastheld River, near where Aegisport stands today. After the infamy of Ayzra "The Black" Zahir serial killings, the House fell out of notice.
Unlike the Mikins, who are quite open with their loathing and spite for those who stand against them (particularly the Shadow-Touched), the Zahirs are keen to mask their enmity beneath a veneer of civility and solicitude. They are reputed to be sneaky, sly, prone to duplicity, and may smile while planting envenomed kisses on unsuspecting lips. Zahirs are extremely fond of politics and intrigue, and masters of the keeping - and strategic sharing - of secrets. They often dabble in trades that involve information, from bonded couriers to pamphleteering. The Zahir bloodline has been known to produce the occasional Shadow-Touched offspring.
House Zahir's coat of arms is, "A black raven on a black bar sinister on purple."