Samot

Samot
Basic Information
Pronouns	He/him
Titles	The Boy-Traitor The Boy-King in Leisure God of Books and Wine The Knower of Things The Boy Who Apologized His Most Honorable Contradiction The Boy-King Matured The Last Wolf Alive The Good King Samot The Unbroken Lord in Exile and Repose
People	Deity
Connections
Re­la­tion­ships	Maelgwyn (son) Samothes (husband)
Meta Info
Season	Autumn in Hieron Marielda Winter in Hieron Spring in Hieron

Samot, formerly known as Samote, is a deity of Hieron. His symbol is an open book behind a goblet. He is also associated with wolves.

Appearance

Samot's outfit during Winter in Hieron is gold and silver armor with a pure white cloak that appears to be silk or linen, but feels like a wolf's fur to the touch. On other occasions his armor is described as pure white, resembling marble or porcelain. He is described during his first appearance in AIH 04: Is It Time Already? as having a beautiful face with "boyish good looks, pale skin, bright blue eyes". After Autumn in Hieron, his eye color is described as violet. His eyes usually have a noticeable sparkle in them. His deceptively lean frame hides his very well defined musculature.

Samot's hair is blonde in color, and his hairstyle has changed several times throughout the story. His appearance and initial personality are directly inspired by Reinhard von Lohengramm from the anime Legend of Galactic Heroes.

Influence

Samot's influence has been felt frequently in Friends at the Table, starting from Lem and Hadrian's vision in the tower of Eventide. On some instances when Hadrian has sought guidance from Samothes, he has been answered by Samot instead, and Hadrian now even wears Samot's cloak.

Oteday is named after him, from the archaic form of his name.

History

Early Life

Samot was born a Word eater and was one of numerous shadows sent to Hieron by Nothing, notable for casting "violence longer than any other". As a shadow he trapped and killed Severea and stole her name, but was so enchanted by its beauty that he did not return it immediately to Nothing, and instead began to travel Hieron. In retaliation, The Heat and the Dark sent a shadow of Severea in the form of a wolf to kill him, and Samot released Severea's name during the resulting confrontation. A myth describing this confrontation is recounted by Uklan Tel in AIH 20: Do I Feel Followed?. Samol then rewarded Samot by granting him a body, and later godhood. Samot's repentance for his actions as a shadow led Samol to affectionately give him the title "The Boy Who Apologized". (Marielda 12)

Pre-Marielda

Samot later became interested in teaching mortals, but refrained from doing so out of respect for Samothes, who maintained strict control over learning and knowledge. However, as the two developed a romantic relationship, Samothes agreed to both teach Samot and help him found a school, meant to be "the one place where folks could learn under the blessing of the gods". Samot would later go against Samothes' wishes to bring learning to mortals beyond the walls of the first university.

After Samol fell ill, he gave Samot and Samothes a mansion between their respective homes in "the rolling plains of celebration" and the City of Light. The two gods lived in that mansion with their son Maelgwyn prior to the events of Marielda. Aubrey has a vision during Marielda 09: The Valentine Affair Pt. 4 revealing that Samot and Samothes separated after an argument about how they should deal with the impending arrival of The Heat and the Dark.

During The Quiet Year, Christopher reveals himself to have personally taught Samot, and claims in Marielda 10: Four Conversations to have known Samot "before Samot did anything". Castille also has memories of Samot asking the mages for advice before the war with Samothes.

Marielda

Some time after their separation, Samot and Samothes go to war with each other. The conflict eventually leads Samothes to separate the City of Light from mainland Hieron to protect it, resulting in the creation of the city of Marielda. Within Marielda, Samot is known as the The Boy-Traitor and an enemy of Samothes.

The Tower of Samot was most likely built during Samot's war on Marielda, described as a "standing city... miles and miles and miles high" (AIH 18) which served as Samot's home during this time.

At the end of The Quiet Year, Samot's army invades Marielda but is successfully driven off by Samothes' forces. Samot continues to research possible solutions to The Heat and the Dark with his closest mages, who call themselves the Disciples of Samot. He recruits Maelgwyn to his cause after Maelgwyn is rescued from the gauntlet during Marielda 08: The Valentine Affair Pt. 3. This research eventually leads to the mages devising a plan to have Maelgwyn kill Samothes, believing that the divine impulse caused by this could result in Maelgwyn birthing a new divine force, or that Samothes' resulting tomb could contain some kind of solution. Samot is reluctant but allows the plan to proceed, believing he can use the power of Reconfiguration to reverse the timeline if it goes badly. He also recruits Aubrey Zosim to help, appearing to her in a dream after she has the vision of Samot and Samothes.

In Marielda 13: The Killing of the King-God Samothes By The Traitor Prince Maelgwyn Pt. 3, Aubrey speaks with Samot while she is knocked unconscious. Samot reveals that he believes the mages may be working against him, and that he is working on a backup plan to stop the Heat and the Dark. This plan is later revealed to be the Stars.

After Samothes' death, Samot's army successfully invades Marielda. Samot becomes the new king and one year later renames it The City Of First Light, as a dedication to Samothes. Aubrey becomes his right hand, taking the role that Primo had for Samothes.

The Winter in Hieron Holiday Special takes place in The City of First Light in the first year after Samot takes over, depicting a troubled city where Samot has abolished some of the worst practices from Samothes' rule but has taken extreme measures to enforce order in other cases.

During Spring in Hieron 35: Unfinished Work, Hella Varal receives several visions of Samot ruling The City of First Light, revealing that Samot continued to work with Aubrey and Primo, converted the city to a republic, and used Samothes' forge to create a sword extremely similar to the Sword of Samothes that could fight back against the Stars.

Autumn in Hieron

Samot makes his first release-order appearance in Autumn in Hieron 04: Is it Time Already? during a shared vision experienced by Lem and Hadrian when they don the mask and the crown respectively in the Tower of Eventide. They see him standing above a crowd of people chanting his name, and he asks "is it time already?" before the vision ends. Hadrian begins to see Samot in his dreams after the encounter.

The three soldiers that the party fights in the Tower of Eventide were also sent by Samot.

Ice Party encounters Samot again in the Tower of Samot in AIH 28: A Choice About What You Believe. There, Fantasmo uses a backfired Charm spell on Samot, resulting in both Samot and Fantasmo both believing that they are long-time friends.

After Hadrian dies at the hands of Tabard, a pala-din in the service of Samot, it is revealed that Samot received Tristero's powers of death after Tristero isolated himself to Nacre. Samot swaps Tabard and Hadrian's fates to save Hadrian's life, ending Tabard's life instead. Samot then gives Hadrian his wolf-fur cloak.

Winter in Hieron

After the events of Ice Party, Samot begins to respond to some of Hadrian's Guidance rolls with signs such as the howling of wolves or a chill that causes Hadrian to draw the wolf-fur cloak closer around himself.

After Fero's failed transformation roll that causes all the wolves in Hieron to disappear, Samot becomes The Last Wolf Alive. One of Hadrian's guidance rolls after this event in the Moth Village causes a wolf to appear to him, which is implied to be Samot in the form of a wolf.

Samot is briefly mentioned in narration at the end of Undelivered Resignations, looking over his map of Hieron and lamenting that he doesn't have enough time (presumably, before the Heat and the Dark arrive). In Winter in Hieron 24: An Open Mind, he responds to one of Hadrian's guidance rolls by sending him a ladder to climb, although Hadrian ultimately chooses not to take it.

In Twenty-Two Brown Birds, Lem once again dons Samot's mask, and he sees Samot in his study, drinking wine. Samot asks him about Hadrian and Fantasmo before spilling his wine and ending the vision before Lem can respond.

Spring in Hieron

Lem returns Samot's mask to Samothes before he, Hadrian, Hella, and Adaire depart from Aubade, giving Samothes a way to contact Samot. It is later revealed that Samothes did speak to Samot and together they designed a special scabbard for the sword Samothes made for Hadrian in Aubade.

Samot makes contact with the Last University shortly after Hadrian returns from Aubade, asking to visit. Before his arrival, Hadrian and Ephrim stumble upon Samot's old room at the University, which contains many personal effects that Samot left behind before or during the war on Marielda: paintings of his family, unsent letters, jewelry, a promise ring, and a wolf-fur cloak.

On the day of Samot's scheduled arrival, Throndir leaves early to scout the situation. He sees Samot at the head of a caravan on a white horse, now with waist-length hair and wearing all white and gold, leading an entourage of revelers and pala-din. As the caravan crosses the bridge on the road to the University, the bridge is destroyed by an Ordennan bomb that uses material made from the Heat and the Dark, giving it the ability to seriously injure even a god. Throndir is able to save Samot and carries him back to the University, where Hadrian removes the shrapnel from Samot's body, although the wounds are filled with the Heat and the Dark and cannot be treated. (Spring in Hieron 11: Cut off the Head)

Samol arrives shortly afterwards, and gives Samot the remaining portion of his life force, the Breath of Hieron. This revives Samot from a coma and gives them enough time for a brief conversation before Samol dies in the process. When Samot realizes Samol has given his life, Hadrian sees his face turn to anger, love, and "cunning resolution" in rapid succession.

Three Stars come to Samot and offer to fill his wounds with starstuff. Samot decides this is the best option he has for treating his injuries and accepts. The Heat and the Dark in his wounds are replaced with starstuff, leaving him with glowing scars and glowing eyes. (Spring in Hieron 15: The Breath of Hieron)

Samot continues to recover at the University, having friendly interactions with several of the player characters including Fero, who bonds with him over their connections with Samol.

In Spring in Hieron 27: A Place and a Time, Samot has recovered enough to help Hella and Severea battle the Solarch and the Cult of the Dark Sun. Having recently learned of the death of Dark Sun Samothes, Samot knows he has access to reconfiguration again, and uses it to repeatedly edit the battle until Hella successfully kills the Solarch. However, Hella sustains wounds from the Heat and the Dark that cannot be reversed with reconfiguration.

In Spring in Hieron 35: Unfinished Work, Samot speaks to Hadrian and asks, "What should we do if... we save the world only to suffer in it?" He laments the fate of the City of First Light, which has been conquered by the Ordennan army and renamed to Malle's Fist. Hadrian, who is planning to go to Malle's Fist, invites Samot to go with him, but Samot declines. Samot gives Hadrian a cloak to replace the one he lost years ago.

A few days later, Samot ascends to the highest tower of the University and begins to conduct the Stars to destroy what remains of Hieron, having come to the conclusion that gods and reconfiguration are the greatest evil of all and that he must replace this world with one made of starstuff, incapable of the divine impulse that creates new gods. Samot feels intense self-hatred and guilt and indicates himself as evil when Hadrian attempts to use What Here Is Evil. He regrets using reconfiguration during the battle with the Solarch, as it caused him to carelessly harm Hella and lie to Severea. (Spring in Hieron 36: Terrible and Necessary)

Hadrian's party retrieves Samot's Blade of First Light from the remains of the City of First Light. Hadrian speaks to Samot a final time, during which Samot begs him to drop the sword and return to the University so that he doesn't come to harm when Samot destroys the city. Hadrian outwardly agrees, but secretly hides the sword and discards Samot's cloak instead. (Spring in Hieron 37: Ingenuity and Love)

Fero confronts Samot at the University. He and Ephrim attempt to fight Samot, but are unable to stop him. Benjamin brings a magical projection of Fantasmo, created from Fantasmo's recorded lectures, up to the tower to speak to Samot. Upon seeing Fantasmo, who Samot believed to be dead, Samot is too startled to continue his attack. Fantasmo speaks to him about the importance of community, and Samot is persuaded to stand down. In that moment, Fero attacks him, using the Spring to push the starstuff out of Samot's scars and effectively ripping Samot's body apart, killing him instantly.

Samot's soul goes to Adularia and Adelaide calls Hella and Hadrian to come speak to him. Hadrian decides to take mercy on Samot and send him into the Blade in the Dark so he can reunite with Samothes in Aubade, using his own starstuff sword to break the star shield over Aubade. Hella then stabs Samot with the Blade in the Dark.

Austin afterwards says "somewhere, a body washes up on a shore", indicating that Samot successfully made it to Aubade. (Spring in Hieron 38: See Where You're Standing)

Relationships

Samothes

Samot was married to Samothes, and they were in a loving relationship for a long time. Together they created the first library and the First University. Ideological differences over the Heat and the Dark and Samol's illness eventually tore them apart and after separating, they went to war with each other. Samot was ultimately partially responsible for Samothes' death. In Aubade, Samothes frequently talks about Samot, and it is clear that the two still love and think of each other as husbands.

Maelgwyn

Maelgwyn is Samot and Samothes' son, born from their lack of confidence about their ability to handle the Heat and the Dark. During the Quiet Year, Maelgwyn appears as a high-ranking soldier in Samothes' army, fighting against mages sent by Samot. Later, compelled by his desire to stop the Heat and the Dark, Maelgwyn takes Samot's side in the conflict and works with him and the mages to kill Samothes. During Winter in Hieron, the Samothes who was Maelgwyn regards Samot with disgust, spitting on the ground at the mention of Samot's name and telling Hadrian that Samot stopped visting him long ago.

Samol

Samol gave Samot a body when he was once just a shadow, and later granted him the power of a god. Samol considers Samot a son to him, and refers to him by a number of affectionate titles such as "my little prince". Post-Marielda, their relationship seems strained, as Samol disapproves of many of Samot's actions, and briefly mentions it may have been a mistake to have raised Samot out of shadow in the first place. He sometimes answers Samot's prayers for guidance and sometimes does not. However, when Samot is on the brink of death, Samol does not hesitate to give his life to save his son, and encourages Fero to try to befriend him.

Severea and Galenica

Samot slew Severea once when he was still a shadow, and although he eventually allowed her to return to life, she never quite forgave him.

Leading the Grand Tour, Severea and Galenica now work with Samot to keep the Heat and the Dark at bay while Samot continues to research a permanent solution.

Aubrey Zosim

Samot befriends Aubrey during the events of Marielda. Although he asks her to go against her pacifistic ideals and commit violence in order to save Hieron, he treats her with affection and eventually gives her an important job and resources once he becomes king.

Hadrian

After Hadrian puts on the iron crown in the Tower of Eventide and sees Samot in a vision, Samot takes an interest in him and begins to appear in his dreams. Samot eventually saves his life when he is killed by Tabard Alon, gives Hadrian his wolf-fur cloak and begins to respond to Hadrian's guidance calls. Samot seems to have some important plan for Hadrian, although it may be stymied by Hadrian's continued loyalty to Samothes. When Hadrian arrives in Aubade, Samothes tells him that he "can feel Samot" on him. At the Last University, Samot and Hadrian have a somewhat stilted friendship, although Samot seems to care deeply for him and Hadrian tries to help Samot where he can. Even after Samot tries to destroy the world, Hadrian still has sympathy for him, saying that "he's been separated from his family for too long".

Fantasmo and Arrell

Fantasmo uses a Charm spell on Samot during their encounter in the Tower of Samot, causing both of them to regard the other as long-time friends, with Samot's artificial memories of Fantasmo going impossibly far back. This spell winds up also having an effect on Arrell, who previously had a mild interest in Samot but afterwards develops a much stronger interest and begins to write about him in his journals as if they were old friends. Arrell expresses a desire to prove to Samot that his approach to the Heat and the Dark is wrong. He attempts to contact Samot several times with no avail and carries around a crown that he means to give to Samot.

Quotes

• "I have made my fair share of poor choices. Believe me. But you have the fire in you that I had when I was young. I respect that. I hope, like me, you find that you can pair that fire with some wine, and some love."
• "I have to try. You know I have to try."
• "In the time before all of this, such an action would just be another chapter in a book, turned back so easily."
• "That is when I knew. That is I felt it, in my wounds, and in my heart, and in whatever motivates the void in the deep core of every living being into glorious motion."