On Samwell's fifteenth birthday, Randyll force him to join the Night's Watch and renounce his birthright of heir to Horn Hill, threatening death if he was to refuse. After being frustrated at Samwell for years, Randyll's attentions turned to grooming his more promising younger son Dickon, who showed all of the physical vigor that Samwell lacked, and decided to have Dickon inherit the Tarly title. Jon Snow originally comments that Sam is the fattest boy he has ever seen, and estimates him to weigh twenty stone (130 kg 280 lb).Ī gentle young man, Samwell is fond of music and songs, and prefers books over weapons, and is afraid of blood and violence, which earned his father's intense contempt. He has dark hair, pale eyes and a large moon-shaped face, and is very obese. Through his mother, Samwell is also second cousin to Shireen Baratheon and Edric Storm, who were born to Melessa's first cousins Selyse and Delena.
Samwell Tarly is the elder son and firstborn child of Lord Randyll Tarly of Horn Hill and his wife Lady Melessa Florent, and has four siblings - younger sister Talla, two other unnamed sisters, and a younger brother Dickon.
