Samwell 'Sam' Tarly

In the shadowed labyrinth of Castle Black, amidst the cacophony of clashing swords and whispers of the dead, Samwell Tarly emerges as a unique figure in the annals of Westeros—a paradox of sorts. Marked by corporeal awkwardness, Sam was the elder son of the tyrannical Randyll Tarly, predestined to be deemed unworthy by a lineage steeped in valor and martial prowess. Sent to the Night's Watch by his father on what would be deemed a fate worse than death, he was a reluctant soldier, a cow that had inadvertently wandered into the lion's den. Yet beneath that quivering exterior lay a heart brimming with indefatigable courage and a mind as sharp as a Valyrian sword.

While initially treated as a coward, the frigid and unforgiving nights at the Wall forged him into a brother who valued knowledge over strength. Through acts of intellect and inadvertent bravery, including the momentous slaying of a White Walker with a dragonglass dagger, he garnered the name 'Sam the Slayer.' His relationships, particularly with Jon Snow and Gilly, catalyzed his transformation from a timid scholar to a defender of both his friends and the realm. Sam’s journey is not merely one of survival amid supernatural horror but evolves into an exploration of love, loyalty, and the unyielding spirit that defines humanity’s truest essence—an embodiment reminiscent of Paul Theroux’s ability to capture frailty and triumph in the lives he chronicles.