Corsair

The Crimson Sail

The corsair was a privateer of the Mediterranean and Atlantic, raiding merchant shipping under a letter of marque from a crown, or under no authority at all. The Barbary corsairs of North Africa and Christian counterparts like the Knights of Malta preyed on rival fleets, seized cargoes, and took captives for ransom or slavery. Swift, daring, and feared, the corsair sailed the line between sanctioned war and outright piracy.