Leonis

Introduction
Leonis, officially the United States of Leonis, was a major hub for both education and industry, and despite Colonial Unification, was able to maintain its own language and culture.

Planetary Geography and Climate
The planet is largely undeveloped and is covered in vast open plains, breathtaking mountain ranges, and exotic fauna which is a consequence of the planet's strict environmental policies.

The planet itself has no axial tilt, which supports a mild and predictable climate.

History
Leonis was founded by the followers of Artemis from the Leonis Galleon around 162 CE.

Settlement
While the first planet colonized in the system was Gemenon, for most of their 2,000-year history, the Cyrannus Sector were dominated by the two major colonies of the Helios Beta-system, Virgon and Leonis. The two rival imperial powers conquered and dominated each of the colonies of the Helios Alpha and Helios Gamma-systems at one time or another. Particularly long and bloody struggles were fought for control of their colony-worlds Picon and Tauron (in Helios Alpha), and Sagittaron (in Helios Beta), which frequently changed hands, along with its lightly-populated neighboring colonies Scorpia and Libran. The Helios Delta system — containing agrarian Aerilon, poor and overpopulated Canceron, and barely-populated Aquaria — was regarded as a backwater, and largely ignored by the imperial powers of Virgon and Leonis.

Leonis was ruled by a powerful set of royals who protected their rule by insisting on a millennium of inbreeding. Eventually the Leonan empire came to be ruled by a leader who was descended from one great-great grandmother, Johanna the Mad, no fewer than fourteen different ways.

They built elaborate stations, hoping to become the hub for shipping operations in the system.

The centuries-long rivalry between Virgon and Leonis eventually led to the exhaustion of the planet's uranium supplies and both powers began to decline, starting roughly 850 years ago, when Tauron successfully fought a war of independence against them, and culminating roughly 200 years ago, around the time Picon achieved independence.

The Leonids continued to fight for their place at the head of the proverbial table but it only got them into trouble with the other Colonies. During a particularly bloody war with Caprica, Tauron and Picon their undoing finally came.

The end result was a serious attack by a joint Caprica-Tauron-Picon fleet, which halved Leonis' population and destroyed the entire military arsenal. Leonan government changed to a democracy, and the royal family did not continue. In order to recover Leonis enacted strict environmental protection policies and until this day burning wood has been considered a serious offense among their court systems.

Leonis and Virgon were replaced by rising Caprica and Tauron as the superpowers dominating the politics of the Twelve Colonies. The allegiances of the other colonies shifted from the old Virgon-Leonis rivalry to fit into new power-blocs centered on the Caprica-Tauron rivalry. This was the state of affairs for the next two centuries, up until the time of the Cylon War.

Leonis was largely subservient to Caprica after that. Politically, it was a non-entity. The Leonids became bitter, resentful people, scraping by working a number of ship-building contracts at gloomy, hollow stations. Some claimed the military continued to grant these contracts out of guilt.

Yet during the Cylon War many of their people were ground pounders, deck hands, and mercenaries, leading the defense against the Cylons. This earned them the respect of the Colonies, even after Leonis sacrificed greatly to protect Canceron from a serious Cylon incursion during the height of the war.

Society and Culture
Leonans are similar to Virgons, in that they enjoy gourmet food and fine wine. Leonan women are known for being beautiful and thin, no matter what they eat. Beauty is defined uniquely as "being in one's own hour." Leonis' capital is Luminere and is well-known for producing and exports a popular energy drink named Leonis Red and Leonis Estates Sparkling Wine is a type of alcohol produced on this colony. The only major cities are located on the east side of the Silver Continent, where industrial deforestation has been banned. Leonis has a good sized population, but during vacation periods, the population swells with tourists and immigrant labor. The planet is also a popular destination for interplanetary cruise liners because of its free wilderness. For generations children were taught the Lesson of Leonis, which is two-fold, that teaches that over-enthusiastic pride can destroy. It's also a testament to the power of the Colonial arsenal, and what happens when war goes too far.

Provinces and Cities

 * Luminere
 * Hedon