Christopher

Christopher was a blacksmith in Trinsic, whose grisly ritualistic murder jump starts the events of Ultima VII. He was also the father of Spark, a young boy who potentially joins the Avatar's party during the game out of a desire for vengeance over his father's death

According to Spark, Christopher was a smith of some renown who had commissions from throughout Britannia. His wife, whose name is not known, died shortly after Spark's birth, leaving him a single father, and leaving Spark an orphan in the wake of his death.

Ultima VII: The Black Gate
In Ultima VII, the Avatar was confronted with news of Christopher's murder immediately upon entering Britannia, as he/she manifested right outside of the stables where Iolo and Petre were discussing the crime. He/she was then charged with the investigation of the crime by Finnigan, who only provided him/her with the means to exit the city, once he was satisfied with his/her report.

The investigation quickly revealed that Christopher was a member of the Fellowship in the time immediately prior to his demise, but had made motions to leave before the time of his death, having an argument with the Trinsic branch leader Klog a few days before his body was found. Spark did not quite piece together Fellowship involvement, but reported a portentous nightmare of a red-faced man taking notice of his father.

The Avatar also ascertained that Christopher had recently come into a fair amount of money for some unknown project involving blackrock, that both Spark himself and a guard named Gilberto had seen a wingless gargoyle and a man with a hook for a hand fleeing the scene of the crime, and that these two suspects had apparently jumped aboard a ship known as the Crown Jewel which was later false reported as heading toward Britain. With this evidence, he/she was asked by Finnigan to continue to pursue the killers, and was given a password to leave the city.

Christopher's murder set the tone for the rest of the game, and throughout game play, the Avatar learned of and witnessed numerous other murders with eerie similarities to Christopher's.

Christopher's decision to leave the Fellowship apparently had its roots in a commission from Klog, in which Christopher was to build a blackrock pedestal for the Black Gate. Apparently, either Christopher completed this order and had second thoughts on the matter or ceased work on the project once he realized the ramifications of what he was doing. Given the sensitivity of the operation, the Fellowship opted to silence him by means of ritual murder.

Christopher was killed by Fellowship assassin Hook and his accomplice Forskis, likely with the aid of Elizabeth and Abraham. In the course of the murder, a young wingless gargoyle named Inamo was also killed, presumably to prevent him from bearing witness to the crime.

Klog, under the powers of the blackrock cube will confess that he regrets missing the murder, but that he needed to remain home with his wife Ellen to create an alibi.

Ultima VII: Serpent Isle
In Ultima VII/2, the Avatar can speak with his spirit with the help of the necromage Mortegro in Moonshade. Christopher's ghost will thank the Avatar for avenging him and helping his son, but warns him/her that many restless ghosts wait for the Avatar in the lands of the dead and urges Avatar to stay alive.

Trivia

 * Christopher's shop in the southwest corner of Trinsic (western most end of Harold's Hallway) has seemingly been vandalized (possibly by Fellowship members) when examined. It is also seemingly haunted, with furniture and doors moving of their own accord. In spite of this, nobody seems to make mention of the state of the shop in dialog.
 * Christopher's shop is also a means to access a cheat room.