Bengali
Legacy Name: Bengali

Bengali- an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script. With nearly 300 million total speakers, Bengali is one of the most spoken languages (ranking sixth) in the world. -Wikipedia

They sometimes say that angels walk among us. They always refer to that kind act from a stranger or a random miracle that made a difference. But they never know, they could never guess, that there are real angels among us.

Bengali was once a great warrior for heaven. He was brave and strong and many demons fell before his power. But wars do not last forever, even ones fought on an astral scale. Peace has reigned for eons and many have forgotten the old battles. Bengali was given the job of guarding the gates of the heavenly city of Shambala. It was an honor for a veteran such as him. But time passed and his comrades were given duties elsewhere, their old positions filled instead with young inexperienced angels.

These youngsters had never seen war nor fought against demon forces. Peace was all that they knew and so they did not take their duties seriously. Sleeping at their post, wandering away for a drink, or gambling instead of watching the horizon started to become common practice. Bengali tried to correct this behavior but at all times was rebuked. He was just an old angel and youths of all races rarely respect their elders. And so finally Bengali had enough. He decided that it was time to report this undisciplined behavior to the higher ups, they would certainly do something.

The other guards heard of his plan and became worried. They knew they would certainly be punished and worse, actually be made to work! And so they caught Bengali unawares and ganged up on him. It was a hard fight, the old guard had experience and strength, but the younger guards had numbers on their side and it was numbers that won in the end. An exhausted Bengali was bound and thrown over the halls of Shambala, out of heaven, and down to the mortal world.

Many things have been said about what happens to an angel that touches mortal earth. It is usually assumed that they are stripped of their power. But should an angel ever unjustly be cast out of heaven against their will, they will lose nothing. And so it was with Bengali. He shed his bindings and was prepared to fly right back to Shambala. But he saw something that astounded him. The young guards were actually at their posts, watchful and vigilant! And he knew, they were watching for him. They would do everything to prevent him from returning home. Ironic that it was their desire to maintain a lazy existence was what turned them to work.

Bengali was perturbed by this turn of event, but not put off. He had lived a long time and had faced difficulties far worse than this. He could get a message home and explain his absence, but in the meantime he figured he might as well make the best of living on earth. He was an angel after all, and angels were always needed.

What he had decided to turn his attention to might have seemed strange for an old warrior like Bengali, but angels are naturally loving creatures and there is nothing more loving than creating for the sake of someone else. And so Bengali acquired a building in a good section of town and eventually opened up Angel Sweets Shop.

Angel Sweets is one part bakery and one part cafe. Warm breads, sweet chocolate, and delicious coffee are available from the crack of dawn till well into the night. Bengali makes nearly everything by himself from scratch, a taunting task for a mortal but hardly a worry for an angel. Known to mortals as Ben, he quickly became famous for the deliciousness of is wares and many have tried to find his secret. He only tells them that he puts love into everything he does, no one knows just how literal he is.

Angel Sweets has also gained a reputation as a calm and quiet place. Bengali's presence is naturally soothing to mortals, even the most impatient ill-humored customer or whiny demanding child becomes relaxed and understanding when in the shop. No matter how bad your day or how bleak your future is, everything will feel better once you come to Angel Sweets, and you might even gain some perspective and advice from the kind Bengali. It is the least he can do, here in this little slice of Shambala.

_____

Bengali's mortal form appears as a white anthro endeavor with gold accents, though organic rather than robotic. He usually wears plain clothes with an Angels Sweet apron over them. But those with special powers are capable of seeing his true angelic form. The base is the same as his mortal form but with a radiant glow. There are golden binding over his eyes, ears, and mouth, a sign of "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" worn by angelic guards. Circling around his head and limbs are divine runes, all glowing in different colors. And in this form he also carries his holy war spear, a white and shining weapon that no evil can withstand. It had once vanquished demons and he is certain it will again.