The brightest minds had been the cause of the Great Anteceptosi Empire's rise and growth-- the creation of the ansible, the discovery of hyperspace tunneling and the subsequent development of hyperdrive-- and the Firmament moved to the Anteceptosi rhythm.
It was Menid Lochamene-- Menid the Brilliant, Menid the Technomancer-- who was renowned as the brightest of those minds. Molecular resonance had led to huge strides in Anteceptosi advancement. Resources were a constant need, and through reso-mining, they could be gathered more quickly. When Menid further developed the technology, the stone and rock which surrounded such resources could be used as well, melded together to create stronger material. Molecular resonance also allowed for stronger power reactors, vibrating molecules at frequencies which produced energy to fuel the Anteceptosi infrastructure.
For any other, these would have been advancements enough. Not so for Menid Arch-Pride.
"Look upon what I have made," Menid Lochamene declared. "Through my brilliance, we can shape matter as we need it. We can fuel our Ships with power like the fire of a sun. We have become akin to the Stars themselves. The Firmament is ours to mold as we desire.
"But we cannot do so without more. If we are to be as the Stars, then we must harness their Power." Menid the Technomancer revealed then what would be his great folly. "I have devised a Cage, a structure which will allow us to draw out the Power of a Star. Then we will control the Firmament, and we will be as gods, immortal and undying."
And the Anteceptosi agreed, for the wonders which they had wrought had made them grow fat with arrogance. So they turned their industry toward the creation of the Star-Cage around the Star Avonas, eschewing the warnings of wiser people, who told them not to draw the ire of the Stars, for even in those days, the Star-Born had become mere legends. The Anteceptosi and Menid Lochamene put no credence in mere stories of beings who could turn planets to ash and pull moons from orbit.
The Star-Cage was constructed and Menid himself was there to throw the switch to activate it. The Anteceptosi had the Power of a Star under their leash for the blink of an eye before Avonas made its fury known. All in orbit around the explosive Star were destroyed, the Cage shattered, though Menid was spared, and left his ansible so he could bear witness to the Stars' rage.
Wherever the Anteceptosi banner flew, the Star-Born descended, more than had ever been recorded in even mere myth. Worlds burned and devastation reigned. Menid was forced to listen and watch as the Empire which he had helped rise to greatness was razed. It took years for the Stars and their Children to finish purging their fury, and when it had finished, Menid was taken in his prison and swallowed up by the new Star which had been born out of Avonas' candescent rage, caged himself beneath stellar fires and even now, not permitted the escape of death.
"Look upon what you made," the Star-Born declared unto him. "As great and as powerful as you had become, before the Power of our Stars, it was mere ash in the wind. Such Power as you sought to claim is not for you to wield. You cannot tame or leash such Power. Now you shall remain here, immortal and undying, just as you wished."
The Great Empire of the Anteceptosi had fallen, and the knowledge of what caused their downfall persists to this day. The new Star born of Avonas is a young and angry one, which does not tolerate visitors. It guards the eternal prisoner in its gullet with a stern and terrible wrath. The Star called Durance Vile is almost never invoked by name, lest it draw its dreadful attention, and thus called instead by the moniker of Menid's Folly.
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