Life and Work (1021 MH - 1078 MH)
To a family of travelling farmhands, Cristin was born on the move in 1021 MH, with no officially registered place of birth. He was an only child of parents who were quickly becoming estranged from one another, pulled apart by the stresses of their back-breaking lifestyle. Neither able to care for an infant, his father sent Cristin to his grandfather, August. His mother allegedly had no say in this and Cristin never acknowledged that he had any contact with her beyond his infancy.
Himself the grandson of a famous general, August had grown up in the aftermath of the Floralist Revolution and educated the boy in line with his patriotic views. While never formally joining the Floralist Alliance, Cristin very publicly supported them in his teenage years, often taking a leading role in commemorative festivities of the revolution.
When August passed away, his will stipulated that it was Cristin that his wealth should pass too, not Cristin’s father. While this gave his grandson an unprecedented opportunity as August was a landowner, it permanently fractured his relationship with his father, who would ultimately disown him, claiming to be no blood relative. This mattered very little to Cristin, who had already resonated with his grandfather anyway, and so, still in his teens the boy took over August’s estate. While some way down the chain in terms of output, the Fortun family had large portions of its wealth set aside, something that Cristin could now access for his own ambition. He ran the farm for a few years, jumping from grains, to unrefined produce to industry, before switching back to foodstuffs again, all the while trying capitalise on the next demand, but never quite succeeding. In the end he set his sights on a different way to turn a profit, one that could coincide with his other interests.
Perhaps influenced by the failure of his own parents compared to his grandfather, he sought out other ways to champion the Floralist cause. He wanted to found his own group, a place where the heritage and history of their nation could be celebrated and a way to further his lot in a culture skewed by ideals of success and wealth. While the Fortun estate could not afford real estate in a place like Recester, Atcaster property was rather more affordable, and Cristin sold his farm to purchase a desirable building on the High Street.
An old butcher’s shop, Cristin relied heavily on the Fortun name to attract interest, directly invoking his great-great-grandfather, Elder Fortun. This reliance was well founded enough, and he grew a moderate following, able to turn the establishment into a profitable gentleman’s club in under a decade. It was also during this time that he met James Seardon, the man who would later succeed him at the Club’s head. The pair struck up a friendship, with Seardon taking an interest in how Cristin ran the Club.
Cristin was pulled around by the memberships whims, often finding it difficult to attract the interest of the truly wealthy, or, when they would join, be unable to provide for them. The fact that he would persevere for twenty years on this thread was testament to Fortun as a man, and his drive to succeed, but as the 1070s arrived, it was clear they fire that was driving him was sputtering out. In his fifties, he was old for the time and beleaguered by ill health, likely due to stress and overwork. As such, when Seardon made a generous offer to purchase the Club and take over ownership, giving the Fortun the opportunity to spend his retirement with his family, he would have been a fool to refuse.
With the proceeds, Cristin retired back to the countryside, buying back his grandfather’s farm that he had sold so many years ago. He died on the 17th Rotmonat, 1078 MH, survived by his wife and three children.
Funeral
A funeral was held on his farm, along with a burial ceremony that was officiated by the local priest. In attendance were a few of the longer standing members of the Club, including Seardon, and his family. He was buried in a coffin made from white pine, next to his grandfather, with a joint headstone being funded with donations from the Club.