Editing Joachim de Chatillon (section)

== Description ==

Joachim was born out of wedlock in 1188 to Gaucher III of Châtillon and Maria, a common woman in employ to his father. Joachim's grandfather, Guy II of Châtillon, was not too pleased at first but tolerated the fling at first. When Joachim was five, Guy and Gaucher made a deal. Gaucher would be betrothed to Elisabeth of Saint-Pol, daughter of Hugo IV, Count of Saint-Pol. Maria would be sent to a convent. In exchange, Gaucher would be allowed to legitimise his firstborn. The union of Gaucher and Elisabeth produced several children and their half-brother was educated alongside them.

Joachim proved to be an able warrior and protector of his younger siblings Guy and Hugo. Daring, brave, compassionate and pious - he tried his best to live up to all the knightly ideals. In 1209 he was knighted as a vassal of his father, who gave him leave to join the call of Philip II of France to Crusade in the Languedoc. Certain that he was doing the Lord's work, he traveled down to Béziers under the command of Simon de Montfort. He participated in the resulting massacre until he got injured and lost consciousness for a while. While he was recovering, he noticed that some people shone with an inner light, like they were wearing a halo. Others on the other hand, just seemed to ooze decay and, for a lack of a better word, evil. When he looked at his own hands, he could often see them being covered in blood.

When his pilgrimage ended, he stayed in the Languedoc using his knowledge of the Crusaders and church methods to help the angelic ones (as he now thinks of them) escape slaughter, no matter which side they were on. As the years passed, he build a network to help him save those who are worthy and yet threatened. He considers the Massacre to be his largest sin, but since he doesn't see eye to eye with the Church about it, he hasn't confessed this particular sin in thirteen years and it's slowly eating him inside.

As he hears about the covenant and their burgeoning reputation for hospitality, he will visit it to see if it can become a link in the network.