Samwise Gamgee

Name: Buttercup
Age: 21+
Contact: butteredcups
Other Characters: None
Interests:

For the moment, I’m mainly apping for the chance to build a variety of CR between Sam and the other characters in the game. In the future, I would love to be involved in plots that delve into more of the Dragon Age lore and the events in Inquisition – I’d love for Sam to be able to contribute to some of the events I’ve already experienced through playing the game. (Even if it’s just picking elfroot in the Hinterlands.)


Name: Samwise Gamgee
Canon/OC: Canon
Journal: harthad_uluithiad
Age: 38

Canon World

Middle-earth is, in many ways, extremely like Thedas. Almost suspiciously so. Almost as if one served as an inspiration for the other...

The two worlds share many of the same races - elves, dwarves, and humans - with major to minor differences between the two. (Elves are tall, and were never slaves to humans, and Men have a long history of their own. Dwarves are...pretty much the same, only with mithril instead of lyrium.) The role of Darkspawn are played by Orcs in Middle-earth, and mages are replaced by near-godlike wizards (though elves also have some magic as well).

But one race that is unique to Middle-earth is the hobbits. Shorter than dwarves - standing between two and four feet tall - these small creatures are, far back in their history, related to Men (or “Big Folk” as they call them), but their origins have been lost with time. Hobbits are a simple folk who enjoy “peace, quiet and good tilled earth,” along with a good meal (or six), a good ale, and a good smoke. While there are many regions and realms in Middle-earth, hobbits rarely leave their home in the Shire, an idyllic countrylike region in the northwest. They have their own government and their own customs and traditions (mostly revolving around food, parties, and presents). As a result, they have little contact with other races, and even in Middle-earth itself, most of the outside world has never heard of hobbits, or think of them as a myth.

Hobbits are, in general, an unimaginative and conservative bunch and relish the comforts of home; with the exception of the Bagginses, most are not adventurous and have little interest in exploring the world beyond the Shire. However, Gandalf praises their courage, and they can show a surprising amount of resilience, empathy, and strength when needed.

That strength and resilience is needed at the moment. Sam and his companions are unlucky enough to be drawn into events well beyond what any normal hobbit would expect to deal with in their lifetimes. An evil ring has found its way to their home in the Shire - a ring that carries within it the will and essence of Sauron, the Dark Lord. The ring must be destroyed - conveniently in the depths of a volcano half a continent away - in order to put an end to the Dark Lord himself once and for all, and thus ensure the safety and continued existence of Middle-earth.

History

Sam is a working-class hobbit, the youngest son of Hamfast Gamgee, gardener and general handyman to the Baggins family. As Sam grew up, he began working alongside his father, gardening and working first for Bilbo Baggins and then his nephew Frodo Baggins.

When Sam was 38, he happened to (completely accidentally!! really!) overhear a conversation between Frodo and the wizard Gandalf - something concerning a magical ring. Long story short, he got caught and conscripted as Frodo's companion on his journey to get the ring out of the Shire. When Gandalf didn't show at their appointed meeting place in Bree, they got roped into going further...

By the time Sam falls asleep and wakes up in Thedas, he's somehow gone from committing to a short journey from the Shire to a nearby village...to swearing to go with Frodo all the way to Mordor to destroy the One Ring, the most evil artifact in all of Middle-earth, once and for all. He's already battled orcs, Nazgul, and even seen Gandalf face a Balrog, as well as seeing more elves than he ever could have hoped for. I'll be taking him from just after the Fellowship's departure from Lorien, thus before many of the events in the series.

Wiki links: http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Samwise_Gamgee

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Samwise_Gamgee

Personality

Samwise Gamgee is, in many ways, the quintessential hobbit. He enjoys food, drink, and the comforts of home, and has an undeniable talent for growing things.

However, there is more to Sam than the hobbitlike enjoyment of simple pleasures. He is sensitive and thoughtful, with a vivid imagination and a taste for stories and poetry unusual among hobbits. He was lucky enough to learn to read from Bilbo, and grew up hearing stories of his adventures - stories of elves and dwarves and all kinds of creatures unknown in the Shire. He took a particular interest in elves, and his greatest wish, before embarking on the Quest with Frodo, was to one day meet one.

Despite his dreaming, Samwise stuck close to home for much of his life; before going with Frodo to Bree, he had never been outside the Shire in all his 38 years, and he proved somewhat reluctant to do so, though he never regretted leaving the Shire or, indeed, going all the way deep into Mordor at Frodo’s side.

For perhaps Sam’s foremost and identifying quality is loyalty. He knows and is content with his role in life and in society - Frodo is his employer and his master, and Sam never resents the inequality inherent in their relationship. However, he takes his responsibility for Frodo’s safety even more seriously than he takes his duty to obey Frodo’s wishes. He is self-sacrificing when necessary, going without food or sleep in order to better care for or provide for others.

Sam can be somewhat judgmental, especially of strangers, and especially of strangers who pose a potential threat to Frodo. Sam is a simple hobbit, prone to blunt speech and somewhat out of place among the Wise, but that never stops him from saying and doing what, in his opinion, needs to be said and done.

Sam is an open book in terms of emotion, constantly wearing his heart on his sleeve. He is incapable of hiding either his deep caring for Frodo or his deep suspicion of those who threaten him, and he can be somewhat gullible at times. Despite this suspicion, he is at heart a deeply caring hobbit, with a love of plants and animals and an incredibly sensitive side. He will be drawn to those with elf-like qualities, as well as those who exhibit kindness, and those who prove themselves to have a good heart will find it entirely possible to win him over.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Sam has limited combat experience and zero training; any real effect he has on the battlefield is spurred mainly by his desire not to see others hurt. Though he does have some experience with a sword, it’s extremely unlikely that he would be put to use in battle in any but the most dire circumstances – he would be more of a liability than a help.

Off the battlefield, Sam is experienced in cooking simple but hearty meals and has a true talent for and love of gardening. He’ll be fascinated by the new plants found in Thedas and it’s likely that he’ll spend most of his time (when he’s not following elves around) working in Skyhold’s garden.

Arrival Inventory

An ancient blade, made long ago by the men of old to fight the forces of evil. It was made as a dagger for men, but Sam uses it as a sword.

Though Sam's blade never shows any evidence of special magical power or strength, a similar dagger wielded by Merry assisted in the downfall of the Witch-king due to an enchantment placed on it when it was forged. In addition, the blades bear no sign of rust or degeneration of any sort despite the fact that they had been forged approximately 1600 years before. This could be due either to a spell placed over the tomb where they were found, or because of some "virtue" in the dagger sheaths themselves.

A cloak of Elven make, light and yet 'warm enough or cool enough at need.' Woven by Galadriel herself and able to hide the wearer from view. The Elves claimed not to know what Pippin meant when he asked if the cloaks were magic, but let's face it, they're magic.

An Elven rope, strong and unbreakable yet able to untie itself at will. Corrupted or evil beings feel pain at its touch. See 'magic' cloak above.

A box of dirt.*

*magic dirt from Galadriel.

'Human'ization

Hobbits average around 3-4 feet tall. Their appearance is more or less human (though with a tendency to perhaps be a little more rotund than average humans) with a couple of exceptions: they have large, hairy feet and slightly pointed ears – not nearly as pointy as Dragon Age elf ears. Sam will likely be repeatedly mistaken for a dwarf due to his size, and though he will vigorously protest this classification, he’s also pretty used to people never having heard of hobbits before.

Though hobbits have no real magical abilities, they do have an innate ability to escape notice and hide from view – due partly to their small stature, and partly in their ability to move silently and stealthily. Their lifespans are slightly longer than humans; they ‘come of age’ at 33 and while 100-year-plus lifespans are uncommon, they are by no means unheard of.

Per the FAQ, Sam will not require any kind of human/dwarf/etc.-ization when exiting the rift.

Fit

I’m really excited about throwing Sam at Thedas in general, and the elves in particular. The setting and races will be familiar enough that he won’t be totally lost and terrified, but different enough to give him a lot to react to and discover. He will be THRILLED to meet a bunch of elves who aren’t too highbrow and important to talk to him, though also kind of bewildered by how different they are from the elves he’s met and heard stories about.

He will be devastated to learn that he’s been separated from his world and his companions, Frodo in particular. He’s likely to worry, a lot, about how Frodo is doing back in Middle-earth without ‘his Sam’ there to look after him. However, Sam is a stout-hearted hobbit and an eternally optimistic one, and it shouldn’t take him too long to accept that things are what they are and throw himself into things in Thedas. I’m looking forward to exploring how he fares in the company of strangers, as well as building CR with any other Tolkien characters that happen to show up. Exploring the similarities and differences between Thedas and Middle-earth, and the two end-of-the-world-threatening situations there, should be interesting from both an IC and OOC perspective.





"Now then, Mr. Frodo, that's the last of it, and I won't be hearing any more."

Sam gave Frodo his sternest look, hands planted firmly on his hips and legs braced. Frodo looked back up at him, wide-eyed.

"Sam," he began, but Sam had heard more than enough already.

"I won't hear another word," he repeated, and turned, carefully picking up the plate of sausages from beside the fire and depositing it gently in Frodo's lap. "You eat up now, and then you get some rest. You need it now, you know, more than ever."

Frodo looked for a moment as if he was going to object, but he'd been on the road with Sam long enough to know that it would be of no use. He bowed his head, meekly, and began to eat the sausages, slowly at first and then faster, as if not realizing just how hungry he'd been until he'd started to eat.

Satisfied, Sam sat down next to him, getting as comfortable as he could on the hard ground, and reached into his pack. His fingers closed around a broken piece of lembas bread, and he pulled it out again, frowning as he saw he'd got one of the bigger pieces left. He went to break it in half, to save the rest for later, but it was too late - Frodo's eyes were on him.

"Sam," he said gently, and Sam looked up guiltily, caught in the act.

"It's all right, Mr. Frodo," he said. "I'm not all that hungry." But his eyes went to the sausages on Frodo's plate all the same, and his stomach rumbled, traitorously. Frodo looked miserable.

"Sam, if you won't let me share the last of the sausages with you, the least you could do is eat a whole piece of lembas," he said, and then fell silent, frowning. He hesitated a moment, and then pushed the plate at Sam, empty but for half a sausage. "Go on. Eat the last of it."

Sam shook his head, firmly. The sausage smelled wonderful, and he thought longingly of his last morning back in the Shire, how he'd eaten sausages with bread and jam until he'd had his fill, and never thought twice about it. If only he could do the same now!

But he couldn't. They were low on food, that was the long and short of it, and Frodo needed it more than he. His master's face was already thin and haggard, with dark circles between his eyes. It didn't occur to Sam that he looked much the same way, as he pushed the plate firmly back to Frodo.

"No, Mr. Frodo," he said, and reluctantly brought the entire piece of lembas away from the bag. It was so much - and yet so little at the same time, and he stared at it hungrily. Perhaps he could skip his next meal, if he ate all of it now; perhaps Frodo would be too tired to notice, and a twinge of worry went through Sam at the thought. He gave Frodo the most encouraging look he could muster, and took a bite.

"Don't you worry about your Sam."



Link to test drive threads