Piracy

Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence, typically at sea, and can also range to naval warfare and coastal raids. Acts of piracy can be committed on land, in the air or in other bodies of water or on shores.

Pirates should not be confused with privateers; state-sponsored sailors allowed to steal from the ships of enemy countries.

History

Pirates sailed the Mediterranean Sea during the Middle Ages. A group of Cypriot pirates was allied with the Templars controlling Cyprus. During Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's trip to Cyprus in 1191, a pirate named Pasha sailed him to Kyrenia. However, the majority of the pirates there attempted to capture him for the Templars. When Altaïr returned to Limassol, he assassinated their captain.

Around 1321, the Templars in Italy hired pirates to steal the Codex from Domenico Auditore, murdering his wife in the process.

In 1511, Al-Scarab was an honorable pirate who sought revenge on Ezio Auditore da Firenze for humiliating him, but after they worked together to fight off some watchmen, he returned the favor by sailing him to Acre. The Ottoman Assassins allied with the corsair Hayreddin Barbarossa to undermine Spanish control of Algiers. Also active at the time were the Templar pirate, Eveline Guerra, and Blaise Legros, whose only loyalty was to money, transporting Templars and Assassins wherever they would pay him.

The Golden Age of Piracy was considered to have taken place from the late 17th century to the early 18th century in the Caribbean Sea. William Kidd was a Scottish privateer active in the area. He was captured and executed on charges of piracy in 1701, but in truth, the accusations were made by Templars hoping he would reveal the location of the Shard of Eden he found.

Edward Kenway was a British privateer-turned-pirate active in the Caribbean who joined the Assassins. In the pirate republic of Nassau, Edward interacted with many pirates such as Blackbeard, Benjamin Hornigold, Charles Vane, Jack Rackham and Anne Bonny.