From now until 3:00 PM PDT on March 19, 2012, you'll earn a FREE Lucky Box for every $9.95 you spend on doubloons or every month of subscription time you purchase! That's 5 Lucky Boxes for purchasing a $49.95 package, 12 Mystery Boxes for purchasing an annual subscription, or even more! Featuring the seasonal color Spring Green, the Lucky Box has a wide array of awesome prizes inside, including some never before seen items, such as a green spectral hound straight from the wild otherworld or even the rarest of wonders: the Green Monkey familiar! Wait, really? Egads! What have we done?

Not only that, but there's also a bevy of great Spring Green-colored prizes: Spring Green sloops, Spring Green furniture, and even Spring Green parrots! Try your luck this Spring by tearing into a Lucky Box right now. For a full list of available prizes and other more detailed info, the official rules can be found here.

Good luck, everyone!

The season be right for all things green me buckos, and it be high time for a new Limited Edition Ship to ride the waves! So here she is: the Bardic Class Sloop. What a thing o' beauty she is, with her elegant lines, intricate knotwork carvings and shades o' brilliant green! But let's have ourselves a closer look shall we?

From her bow hangs a fierce-looking kelpie figurehead. This carnivorous shape-shifting water-horse o' legend be just the thing to strike terror into any chicken-hearted blaggard what crosses yer path!

Here be young Master Fergus, a good lad, standing high upon the sterncastle surrounded by shamrock planters, a captain's chair fit for a true sea-chieftain, and a fine harp to accompany his favourite songs o' the sea. Ahoy Fergus! Be there a cabin beneath ye?

Aye, indeed a cabin there be: snug green chambers equipped with green-tinted lights, a working storage chest, a globe that shows ye yer known world, and a traditional drum to help the ship's master keep time with the rolling o' the waves. 'Tis a grand space indeed, but let's have Fergus head back out to continue our tour...

...and here he is out on the deck proper. As ye can see the deck is as lush and emerald-hued as the rest o' the vessel, and ye'll also find special chairs for the crewmen painted in the same hues, and a working sword-rack. Avast Fergus! Pick ye up that fiddle there and play us a tune, me lad! Nay? Well, young Fergus is a humble fellow and doesn't wish to show off...perhaps another time me boyo? Shall we head below then?

Here be Fergus, standing in the well-equipped and handsome hold o' the ship. Here ye'll find another working sword-rack and clock to check the time, more green-tinted lights and a rum barrel that let's ye and yer mateys access the drinking puzzle! But what is it that Fergus is staring at? Why 'tis a mysterious and ancient standing stone, brought aboard for luck. Look lively Fergus! There be a banshee behind ye lad! Ye'd best stopper yer ears afore she starts a wailin'! That's right me hearties, every Bardic Class Sloop comes inhabited by a unique banshee!

A finer ship ye'd be hard-pressed to find, but alas: the Bardic Class Sloop is only available until 3 PM PST on Monday, the 2nd of April. So head to the shipwright and place yer order afore the banshee comes a callin' for ye!

A Sweet Ship for Your Sweetheart! Prepare for February's Decadent Chocolate Class Sloop! Based on the winning design by Slartibartfa of Meridian, it's guaranteed to melt in yer mouth, not in the sea!

Here we see the lovely Theobroma aboard her very own rich, velvety vessel. Which is the box of fine chocolate bonbons and which is a crate of classy cocoa-colored cannonballs? Only taste-testing will tell!

Just imagine the ambrosial aroma that enveloped our dear Theobroma as she strode into this luxuriantly chocolate-laden cabin! Can she resist the temptations before her?...

...Yes! But only long enough to go down to the hold and see what other smooth, delectable wonders await her. Now she only needs to decide what to nibble on first, and with whom to share this exquisite chocolatey bounty! There's plenty enough for two my dear, care to invite me aboard?

The Chocolate Class Sloop is only available until 3 PM PST on Wednesday, March 1st. Get one for that special someone, even if that someone is you!

From now until 3 PM PST on Tuesday, January 31st, every purchase of $9.95 or more will earn you a free Ice Box! Featuring the seasonal color Ice Blue, the Ice Box has a wide array of awesome prizes inside: Ice Blue Penguins, Ice Blue War Brigs and Sloops, Ice Blue Chromas, and even Ice Blue/White Parrots!

Be the coolest rogue on the island by sinking your hook into an Ice Box right now! For a full list of available prizes and other more detailed info, the official rules can be found here.

Good luck, everyone!

"Charavie's Dragon Celebration" background, now available!

This week on Portrait Day: a festive array of backgrounds perfect for Chinese New Year! The full list is as follows...

• Cayenne's New Year's Festivity Garden
• Charavie's Dragon Celebration
• Charavie's Crocodragon Party
• Greylady's Chinese New Year
• Inghild's Year of the Dragon
• Velternal's Dragon Dance At Dusk

There's a new background for every size group, so round up your hearties and head over to your nearest portrait easel today! These backgrounds will only be around until Wednesday, February 1st at 3 PM PST, so don't dawdle: start your New Year celebrations now!

One final programming note: this is the last Portrait Day! From now on, new player-created backgrounds will be released alongside other seasonal stuff, like Limited Edition ships or other goodies. Thanks for following Portrait Day, and keep your eyes on the blog and the Pirate News for future portrait background info!

Happy Portrait Day, everyone!

January's Limited Edition ship is sure to strike fear into the hearts of your enemies this year: it's the Dragon Class Fanchuan!

Here's the ship's quarterdeck. Note the deep scale-green hue of the deck planks, and the tail extending out the back! Of course, if the ship has a tail attached to the stern, it only makes sense that...

...there be a fearsome dragon head on the bow! No one would dare mess with a ship with such a ferocious figurehead.

There's plenty of other surprises throughout the ship, as well. Check out these opulent jade dragon statues in the hold!

The Dragon Class Fanchuan is only available until 3 PM PST on Wednesday, February 1st. Grab yours and roar across the seas in glorious draconic majesty!

"Molasses's Cozy Maiden" background, now available!

Like a flash of winter frost - it's the very briefest of Portrait Days!

In celebration of the nip in the air at the beginning of this shiny New Year, we've turned on a few of our favorite winter-themed backgrounds from previous years. They'll only be around until next Portrait Day, Tuesday, January 17th, so go take a look at your nearest portrait easel today and see if there's a frosty one for you!

Happy Portrait Day, everyone!

Rescue the Interoceanic Expedition

Velasco Thorsson, that haughty yet brave explorer, has made it through the icy maelstrom to discover a direct passage from his ocean to yers! Alas, dead in the wintry waters he is, unless he can get enough supplies to sail home. So take ye to the frosty seas and wrest the supplies from the clutches of ice-blooded brigands and help the intrepid explorer make it back home to complete his voyage!

The ocean has been divided into five teams, with pirates from the same crew all being placed on the same team. Pirates can participate and earn points for their team by defeating Brigands and Barbarians to win expedition supply items and assembling them into kits at Velasco Thorsson's depot near the docks on certain islands. Full details can be found here.

The competition ends on Wednesday, January 4th at 3 PM PDT.