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.

"Masters's Christmas Palace" background, now available!

One new player-created portrait background this week on Portrait Day, just in time for the peak of the celebrations!

Masters's Christmas Palace is an expansive background set inside a huge pirate palace, complete with tons of presents and a floor-to-ceiling festive fir! Christmas Palace and the previous Portrait Day's solo backgrounds will only be available until next Portrait Day, Tuesday, January 3rd at 3 PM PST. Not only that, but this week we've also turned on a few other festive Christmas backgrounds from Christmas past! They, too, will only be around until next Portrait Day, so be sure to go take a look.

Happy Holidays, everyone!