Help! Research project: Short historic parables clearly about Truth or Love or Courage. For in game books. Send www links. Thanks!

— Richard Garriott (@RichardGarriott) February 17, 2015

Richard Garriott sent out the above tweet last night, asking the community of Shroud of the Avatar and Ultima fans for short (500 words or so) stories — “historic parables” here meaning stories that…well…sound historical. Submitted stories will be included in Shroud of the Avatar in the form of in-game books.

For my own, I’ve always thought of Charles Martel as the foremost exemplar of Courage:

He was a brave young man. He had fought in many of his father’s battles and so had become a skilled soldier. His men were devoted to him…The most important of his wars was one with the Saracens, who came across the Pyrenees from Spain and invaded the land of the Franks, intending to establish Mohammedanism there. Their army was led by Abd-er-Rahman (Abd-er-Rah’-man), the Saracen governor of Spain.

On his march through the southern districts of the land of the Franks Abd-er-Rahman destroyed many towns and villages, killed a number of the people, and seized all the property he could carry off. He plundered the city of Bordeaux…and, it is said, obtained so many valuable things that every soldier “was loaded with golden vases and cups and emeralds and other precious stones.”

But meanwhile Charles Martel was not idle. As quickly as he could he got together a great army of Franks and Germans and marched against the Saracens. The two armies met between the cities of Tours and Poitiers…in October, 732. For six days there was nothing but an occasional skirmish between small parties from both sides; but on the seventh day a great battle took place.

Both Christians and Mohammedans fought with terrible earnestness. The fight went on all day, and the field was covered with the bodies of the slain. But towards evening, during a resolute charge made by the Franks, Abd-er-Rahman was killed. Then the Saracens gradually retired to their camp.

It was not yet known, however, which side had won; and the Franks expected that the fight would be renewed in the morning.

But when Charles Martel, with his Christian warriors, appeared on the field at sunrise there was no enemy to fight. The Mohammedans had fled in the silence and darkness of the night and had left behind them all their valuable spoils. There was now no doubt which side had won.

The battle of Tours, or Poitiers, as it should be called, is regarded as one of the decisive battles of the world. It decided that Christians, and not Moslems, should be the ruling power in Europe.

Charles Martel is especially celebrated as the hero of this battle. It is said that the name MARTEL was given to him because of his bravery during the fight. Marteau…is the French word for hammer, and one of the old French historians says that as a hammer breaks and crushes iron and steel, so Charles broke and crushed the power of his enemies in the battle of Tours.

What author John H. Haaren (John Henry) leaves out is that the pivotal battle at Tours saw the unarmoured (or under-armoured) French infantry take on and soundly defeat armoured Saracen cavalry.

But I digress. I’m sure you’ve all come across moving stories of Truth, Love, and/or Courage in your literary travels, and if so, consider submitting these to Richard Garriott. Who knows? Your favourite tale might end up in a book somewhere in the land of Novia.