If Lyonnais is a highly independent province of Bretonnia, its neighbour, La Navarre, often seems like it is another country altogether. Largely this is a matter of culture and history, but race and geography also play their part. The Navarrese look distinctly different from Bretonnians, with jet black hair and often swarthier complexions. La Navarre itself is also different from the rest of the Kingdom, there are few of the green meadows and lazy rivers that characterise the rest of the realm. Instead, Navarre is a sparse, hilly province, getting increasingly wilder as it reaches the foothills of the Irranas. La Navarre was, in fact, not part of Gilles le Breton's realm, and was added to the Kingdom of Bretonnia almost three centuries later through dynastic alliance. Over a millennia later, although there is no real question of secession, Navarrese and Bretonnians still tend to regard each other as foreigners. This tendency is increased by the fact that the Navarrese have their own language, Languedoc, which is distantly related to Estalian, though most do speak Bretonnian. The Navarrese have a strong sense of identity and pride in their land, which they have defended many times against the Estalians (for whom they have an abiding hatred). Not withstanding this, as most Bretonnians take pleasure in pointing out, the Navarrese are remarkably similar to the Estalians in culture, temperament, and appearance. The culture of the Southern Old World is omnipresent here, with devotion to the Southern cults fiercely devout especially to Ste-Leonidas, the Myrmidian patron saint of Navarre. There are few followers of the Northern pantheon. The cult of the Lady is notable by its absence from these lands. The Navarrese are a passionate people, swift to friendship or enmity; generous, hospitable and loyal to family and friends, but merciless to enemies, and capable of nurturing vendettas for generations.