Otheiae Corsairs

Part of Culture of Otheia
Part of Criminality of Otheia
Corsairs is a general term for any pirate or raiding vessel operating out of the coasts of Otheia, but it may also refer to the naval vessels of a coastal realm, especially when they carry out their peacetime duties. 
The Otheiae have a long history of piracy in their regional waters. Such activities are made possible through their use of fast, light, and shallow-drafted vessels, which enable them to strike out quickly at passing shipping, before retreating to inlets, coves and shallow harbors where deeper-draft ships cannot access. These pirates have garnered a mixed reputation, often being romanticized as swashbuckling adventurers, others depicting them as thieving slavers. 
More curiously, many of the official navies of coastal realms are also labeled Corsairs. This is likely an anachronism of ancient times, when the fleets operated much like the pirates in times of peace. In the modern day, however, the official “Corsairs” patrol the coastal waters for foreign shipping, before boarding ships they sight. Nominally, this is in search of contraband, but it is common practice for realms to require foreign ships to pay an annual toll to use the waters they nominally control. Should the ship’s captain be unable to produce evidence they payed for the operating license, the ships cargo, and even the vessel itself, may be impounded. This serves as a source of income for several coastal cities, who then sell off the cargo as well as the ship, or hold the vessel for ransom. 
These “customs inspections” have not always gone without resistance. For example, five years ago, two navalized speronaras attempted to stop and seize a xebec of the Moonfleet, off the Needles Rocks. The subsequent battle saw the naval vessels destroyed by a volley of gunfire by the xebec, which then continued on its voyage unmolested.
Category:Culture of Otheia
Category:Criminality in Otheia