Sam Tarly

Samwell "Sam" Tarly is the Lord of Horn Hill and head of House Tarly. He assumed leadership over the House after the death of his nephew Abelar Tarly at a hunting accident under strange circumstances. He is the youngest brother of Lord Gareth Tarly, Abelar's father and also was one of Abelar's regents. He is married to Alerie Tarly nee Chester and fathered 4 children with her.

Appearance and Character
Sam has brown hair which he wears to shoulder length, brown eyes and a brown beard which he wears well trimmed. He is a big man, with a height of 6'7" and a muscular built. He is not a man of luxuries, he wears plain clothes, usually brown or green and he always wears chainmail under his clothes.

Sam lives up to the Tarly tradition, a militaristic education and a stern sense of duty. First in Battle, House Tarly's words are not just battle cry but a way of life, Sam taught their children from a young age. He is a man of few words who prefers taking acting over talking.

Sam is a proud and cunning man who does not fear death and who finds himself more comfortable leading an army into battle than ruling his household. He is feared by his servants who look at him as a tyrant who wants to apply a militaristic regime to all the areas of his life.

Biography
Sam was the second of three sons of a former Lord Tarly. Being a second son meant he was not raised for lordship, instead Sam grew to become Horn Hill's army commander and his brother's right hand unlinke his younger brother Raynard Tarly who chose the path of knighthood and became a Queensguard.

Lord Gareth Tarly, Sam's brother, was a weak man. Not long after ascending the throne, Abelar, his brother's heir was born, Sam would always remember that night as the night which changed Horn Hill forever. Lady Melara Tarly died during labor and his brother suicide days after not being able to handle losing his wife. It was a shame, a Tarly suiciding for the love of a woman instead of facing the future.

During Abelar's childhood, many regents would come and go. While Sam dedicate himself to leading the House's army. Sam despised Abelar he saw in him his father's weakness but he was raised to be loyal and so he would. As Abelar grew his lack of interest in the matters of the court of Horn Hil grew, much to Sam's disgust. This was a lord who let others rule in his name and had others, mainly Sam, lead his armies as he enjoyed the luxuries proper of his position. He would not take it, House Tarly had already dealt with Gareth's weakness and now facing with Abelar's lack of interset would bring nothing good to a House as proud as the Tarlys.

In 385 he married lady Alerie Serry daughter of Lord Serry, the couple had their first child in 386 Alan Tarly.

Abelar's Regency
In an attempt to grant the best education possible to Lord Abelar, Sam's brother Gareth had appointed a Regency Council, leaving Sam outside of it because "He was a man of war not a man of state" , those words haunted Sam's mind since the day Abelar was born and he hated them but he decided to comply.

At the age of nine, however, Abelar showed interest in learning the Tarly martial ways. Sam took charge of his education personally. For two years, he taught his Lord and his eldest son Alan in the arts of leading, outsmarting the enemy and inspiring troops. Despite all, Abelar was still weak and his lack of action had allowed the regents to gain much more power than they deserved.

At the age of fourteen, the regent at the time died. Instead of nominating a new regent Abelar decided that he would do a far better job than any regent and took power in Horn Hill. Much to the ire of his council but with Sam backing him they would not dare to attack thanks to the loyalty of his troops, Abelar did not know Sam was one of the men who had seen his personal fortune grow thanks to the Council's corruption.

Management of Horn Hill 401 - 407
With him coming to power his entire council who had been in power since his father's death were imprisoned and have been there ever since. By removing courtiers Abelar "The Reformist" was becoming a threat to the region's status quo. Whether Abelar would listen or not, Sam was always there to remind Abelar of the importance of keeping the strong families happy, granting too much power to the smallfolk would eventually make them a threat. The appointment of the so called "Peasant Court" was something Sam could not tolerate, granting rights to the commoners in order to reduce those of nobility was against the basis of their society, the way Abelar revoked all the titles granted by the old Regency, inviting nobles who had their land revoked only to have them imprisoned on charges of corruption, could only mean one thing, Rebellion, Sam knew it all along and he did not want to be forced to pick a side.

By 405 the peasants had gathered so much power in detriment to that of the nobility that gossip amongst the Army Commanders was that a coup was to take place in Horn HIll. The members of the Peasant Council wielded their power and threatened the nobles and even his soldiers when trying to discipline a criminal from the smallfolk. Peasant had hanged a couple of Highborn after they tried to punish thiefs for stealing chickens just because they considered the nobles were to blame for not probiding the smallfolk with the food they needed and Abelar did nothing about it. A group formed by the oldest commanders gathered and formed what they called "The Brotherhood"  to defend the rights given to them by the gods from the shadows, they had all seen their powers reduced by Abelar's new generation of young-smallfolk army leaders and peasant militias.

At 407 Abelar attended the Tourney at Harrenhal, Horn Hill had had enough of him by that time and it was time for a change. "The Brotherhood" planned their attack, they would ambush Abelar near Horn Hill and they would also attack the homes of al the Smallfolk Leaders who supported his reforms, with the help of two informants within the Peasant Council they got the information necessary to know where they targets would be at the exact time the coup was to take place.

The Bloody Symphony
On the designated day the members of the Peasant Council would gather for their monthly meeting, it was costumary for them to have a bard sing after the meeting and to enjoy drinks and food afterwards. These meetings never took place inside Horn Hill but on taverns in the sorrounding villages. Near the hour of the wolf to armed parties left Horn Hill, one to the village where the Peasant Council was to gather and one rode along the Roseroad to welcome Abelar who was returning from Harrenhal.

The coordinated attacks were just perfect, neither Abelar and his escort nor the Peasant Representatives and their guards knew what hit them. Abelar's body was found the next morning stripped of all his gold and jewelry to make it seem like an assautl by bandits, his escort all murdered, the members of the Peasant Council in irons at Horn Hill most their guards fled at the sight of the army and those who did not were murdered. The Peasant Representatives who sold information to Sam and the rest of the army commanders were granted titles to legitimize their property.

Family

 * Lord Tarly (325 - 380)
 * Lord Gareth Tarly (362 - 387)
 * Lord Abelar Tarly (387 - 405)
 * Lord Samwell "Sam" Tarly (b.365) m. Lady Alerie Tarly nee Chester (b.368)
 * Ser Alan Tarly (b.386)
 * Ser Randyll Tarly (b.388)
 * Lady Gwendolyn Tarly (b.388)
 * Dickon Tarly (b.390)
 * Ser Raynard Tarly (b.372)


 * Ser Percival Tarly (330 - 395) m. Lady Lysa Merryweather (332-385)
 * Ser Quentyn Tarly (b. 370), Horn Hill's Master-at-Arms
 * Timothy Tarly (b.397), Samwell's Squire
 * Ser Garlan Tarly (b. 340) Horn Hill's Castellan, m. Lady Selyse Vyrwell (b.355)
 * Ser Garth Tarly (370 - 405) m. Lady Talla Hunt (b.375)
 * Ser Trevor Tarly (b. 387)
 * Lady Arianne Tarly (b. 390)
 * Rodrik Tarly (b. 393)

Household

 * Maester Martyn, a valeman from a knightly House.
 * Ser Manfred Hunt, bodyguard