Created by Doug Atkinson <douga@earlham.edu>
God is decreeing to begin some new and great period in His Church, even to the reforming of Reformation itself; what does He then but reveal Himself to His servants, and as His manner is, first to His Englishmen?
--John Milton, Aeropagitica
Once upon a time, in the 17th Century, Abdiel was the Angel of Puritans. He'd been a Cherub assigned to various suffering religious groups in England, and managed to achieve his Word in 1620 when he guided a group of Puritans out of Holland and to the New World.
This was a time when the Celestial Hierarchy was confused about its position towards Europe. The Protestant Reformation was settling out by now, but Dominic and Laurence were still agitated about the proliferation of new sects. And like all times of upheaval, those who were quick to jump could become wildly successful.
Abdiel was one who was quick to seize opportunities. Specifically, he found two Englishmen to sponsor: Oliver Cromwell and John Milton. He acted as a muse to Milton, appearing to him as the angel who speaks in the sonnet "On His Blindness."
His patronage of Cromwell was a bit more dramatic, and with relatively little manipulation he was able to establish the Commonwealth; his Puritans now ruled an entire country. This certainly did not escape the notice of the Archangels. Many couldn't care less, and Janus was always in favor of change, but a few objected strenuously, primarily based on their feeling that beheading a king was a bad precedent. (Abdiel's name was brought up a few times during the French Revolution.) Eli objected to the fact that the Commonwealth had closed the theaters. Dominic asked Abdiel to withdraw to Heaven while he could decide whether or not to press charges.
By the time he decided not to, the Commonwealth had passed and Charles II was on the throne. Abdiel was stricken by this loss of status, and blamed Dominic for the setback. Dismayed, he wandered around England and spent a good deal of time with Milton. During this time he told Milton his version of the War in Heaven; he inflated his own role, describing himself as defeating three major fallen angels, including Lucifer himself.
After a few years, he decided that England was the wrong place for him. His Word would be better served by retiring to the New World, where his Puritans had a second chance at ruling a country.
By this point Pride had begun to overtake him; his decision to move was based on his own glory more than the good of his charges. He also found that it was much easier to maintain a disciplined society when the society was a minority; with an entire continent to spread out, those who didn't wish to be Puritans could go elsewhere. This was intolerable to Abdiel, who couldn't stand the idea of losing anyone under his protection.
Abdiel began acting increasingly erratically, trying to rigidify Puritan society into his mold. The breaking point came in 1693, with an incident in a colony in Massachusetts; he managed to turn what should have been a tension-releasing outbreak of mass hysteria among young girls into a slaughter of 19 people that has become synonymous with injustice. Dominic immediately hauled Abdiel back to Heaven for judgement. Abdiel refused to admit that he had made a mistake; before judgement could be passed, he was overcome by Pride, and Fell.
Asmodeus recognized that methods that were draconian when applied to humans could be useful when applied to demons, and recruited him. Abdiel (now Bebaiel) has worked on Asmodeus' brute squads since, believing himself to be a victim of Dominic and counting the days until "the reckoning." He believes he is doing Heaven's Will by destroying demons.
He's considered too unstable to achieve a Word, but Asmodeus has learned to manipulate him. Asmodeus thinks of him as a special tool, and allows him to keep his position despite his Discord. He usually acts as an enforcer, not an investigator.
The Word of Puritans was never re-assigned, with the result that the group has changed and been absorbed into other groups.
Bebaiel has 12 Forces, and a healthy dose of combat-oriented Songs and Skills. He suffers from a high level of the Discord Prideful. Generally, Asmodeus will send him out to bring in a troublesome demon, or when action is required against a servitor of Dominic (he pursues these duties with particular fervor).
Personally he's impossible to get along with; he can think of nothing but how he was robbed of his Word by Dominic. He is obsessed with overthrowing Dominic and reclaiming his place in Heaven. No one bothers to get along with him; when not on duty, he spends most of his time reading about himself in Paradise Lost. (He no longer believes that they also serve who stand and wait, by the way.)