author: Nicole J. LeBoeuf

Ahoy! I have insider information about this weekend's blockades. Well, about one blockade. On the Cerulean Ocean, I received this request from a hearty who happens to be King of the flag Undertow--yeah, that's right, I'm dropping names of royalty here--

Fedorov tells ye, "Heya matey! I got a blockade tomorrow at Chaparral. Trying to keep Babylon defending for Sherbetlemon so they have no chance to defend Labyrinth Moors. Come help me out! thanks XD"

Spoiler blockade? YOU DON'T SAY. Unfortunately I am otherwise occupied IRL (on roller skates, natch) and will be unable to help out personal-like. So go job for Undertow on the Cerulean Ocean! Or job for Babylon if they're yer mates. Whatever! Just have you some fun!

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, April 22 ***

12:00 p.m. - Prolix Purlieu, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Velt's Boiyz
Attacker: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (4)

12:07 p.m. - Cryo Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: The All-Consuming Flame (2)
Attacker: Spoon Republic

12:30 p.m. - Raven's Roost, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Chthonic Horde (2)
Attacker: Barely Dressed

12:33 p.m. - Edgars Wahl, Opal Ocean
Defender: Pandemic
Attacker: Schmutzige H�nde

1:47 p.m. - Alkaid Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Rubber Duckies of Doom
Attacker: Going Down

2:13 p.m. - Tumult Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: The Jade Empire (2)
Attacker: The Corsairs Alliance

3:43 p.m. - Anegada Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Chemical Romance
Attacker: The Corsairs Alliance

Subscription Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, April 22 ***

4:53 p.m. - Chaparral Island, Cerulean Ocean
Defender: Falling Stars
Attacker: Undertow

5:00 p.m. - Labyrinth Moors, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Babylon
Attacker: Ice Wyrm's Brood (3)

8:28 p.m. - Eta Island, Cerulean Ocean
Defender: The Coalition
Attacker: Babylon

8:33 p.m. - Jubilee Island, Cerulean Ocean
Defender: The Coalition
Attacker: Babylon

Ahoy and happy Saturday! On Puzzle Pirates this weekend we got a whoooooole buncha blockades to play in, the majority of them starting during the noon-o-clock hour on the Emerald Ocean, and the majority of those involving notorious troublemakers Rubber Duckies of Doom. Well, I say troublemakers, but honestly, I'm told they're my allies, or at least the allies of my allies, so I should go job for them. They're already offering top pay per segment, so that's an extra incentive. Those doubloons ain't gonna earn themselves, ye know.

Meanwhiles, back in what they call the real world, I have the Friday Fictionette for April 14 to announce. Yes! It's up, and only about 12 hours late. It's called "Just Like Old Times" (ebook, audiobook). It's sort of a guide book to a picturesque Old Town you or someone you know might be nostalgic for. It was built to evoke that nostalgia. Nostalgia is pretty powerful bait.

OK so! These two things announced, I am off to earn my PoE and eat my last helping of mirliton cheesburger mac FTW. Have fun!

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, April 15 ***

10:15 a.m. - Doyle-Insel, Opal Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Das alles verzehrende Feuer (1)
Attacker: Pandemic
Attacker: Schmutzige Hände

12:00 p.m. - Cryo Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Rainbow Unicorn Glitter
Attacker: The All-Consuming Flame (3)

12:00 p.m. - Tumult Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Cluster Service
Attacker: The Jade Empire (3)

12:00 p.m. - Admiral Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Rubber Duckies of Doom
Attacker: Going Down
Attacker: Black Queen

12:00 p.m. - Acanthaster Spits, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Trap House
Attacker: Jinx (4)

12:01 p.m. - Sayers Rock, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Going Down
Attacker: Rubber Duckies of Doom

12:01 p.m. - Blackthorpe Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Going Down
Attacker: Rubber Duckies of Doom

12:01 p.m. - Bowditch Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Going Down
Attacker: Rubber Duckies of Doom

12:02 p.m. - Kasidim Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Going Down
Attacker: Rubber Duckies of Doom

12:03 p.m. - Ambush Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Rubber Duckies of Doom
Attacker: Going Down

12:06 p.m. - Basset Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Keep the Peace
Attacker: Black Queen

12:08 p.m. - Scrimshaw Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Caught In Crossfire
Attacker: Rubber Duckies of Doom

12:09 p.m. - Albatross Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Caught In Crossfire
Attacker: Rubber Duckies of Doom
Attacker: Pale Element

12:10 p.m. - Ix Chel, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Caught In Crossfire
Attacker: Rubber Duckies of Doom

12:12 p.m. - Doyle Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Keep the Peace
Attacker: Rubber Duckies of Doom

12:13 p.m. - Ashkelon Arch, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Keep the Peace
Attacker: Rubber Duckies of Doom
Attacker: Coon and Friends

12:18 p.m. - Kashgar Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Technicians
Attacker: Coon and Friends
Attacker: Black Flag

8:05 p.m. - Lilac Island, Meridian Ocean
Defender: Danger Zone
Attacker: Get Off My Lawn

Good morning and happy Saturday! Have a blockade schedule. It is moderately active with start times to suit most time zones and schedules.

It is, of course, April 1, or as it is commonly known, April Fools Day. Your chronicler tends to celebrate that festive day by hiding away from the rest of humanity, firstly because she doesn't care for pranks, and secondly because the internet is full of entertainment. You may have to hurry to appreciate it, though--most April 1 demonstrations tend to go away on April 2.

So today's intertubes features things like the Google Gnome (the smart yard you've always wanted!) and the ability to play Ms. Pac-Man on the Google Maps app. Puzzle Pirates specifically is getting into the spirit of things with a S3kr1t Oceanmaster Forum that someone "slipped up" and left accessible to all. Plenty there to keep you entertained while waiting for your jobbing shippie to enter the blockade battle board. Also there's pet rocks. Don't you want a pet rock?

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, April 1 ***

12:00 p.m. - Havoc Island, Meridian Ocean
Defender: Leviathan's Wrath
Attacker: Depths Unknown

2:55 p.m. - Albatross Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Caught In Crossfire
Attacker: Cluster Service

8:58 p.m. - Admiral Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Rubber Duckies of Doom
Attacker: Going Down

*** Sunday, April 2 ***

12:00 p.m. - Basset Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Keeping The Peace
Attacker: The All-Consuming Flame (3)

12:00 p.m. - Nightshade Island, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Smoke and Mirrors
Attacker: Chthonic Horde (4)

Subscription Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, April 1 ***

11:55 p.m. - Ansel Island, Cerulean Ocean
Defender: Super Awesomeness
Attacker: The Wanton

11:55 p.m. - Carmine Island, Cerulean Ocean
Defender: Super Awesomeness
Attacker: The Wanton

*** Sunday, April 2 ***

11:49 a.m. - Angelfish Island, Cerulean Ocean
Defender: Crimson Tide
Attacker: Undertow

12:00 p.m. - Cranberry Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Raising Hull
Attacker: Chthonic Horde (3)

It's Saturday and we're taking a break from life. To support the shooting of pixelated cannonballs and the earning of fake money, I present the weekly blockade schedule. It's full of brigand kings and therefore PoE!

That's kinda it, really. I mean, for the YPP portion of this entirely frivolous and non-writing blog post. On the subject of non-pixelated entertainment, if you're in the Denver area and you want to see some roller derby, I could tell you about tonight's double header in Lakewood. I'm skating in the 6 PM bout. It'll be fun!

And that is all.

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, March 25 ***

12:00 p.m. - Polaris Point, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Velt's Boiyz
Attacker: Chthonic Horde (3)

12:16 p.m. - Admiral Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (6)
Attacker: Black Flag
Attacker: Rubber Duckies of Doom

12:58 p.m. - Garden Cradle, Meridian Ocean
Defender: Leviathan's Wrath
Attacker: Icy Sun

4:00 p.m. - Scrimshaw Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Ice Wyrm's Brood (3)
Attacker: Keep the Peace
Attacker: Caught In Crossfire
Attacker: Kanata

6:00 p.m. - Marlowe Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Caught In Crossfire
Attacker: Delirium

*** Sunday, March 26 ***

10:00 a.m. - Pukru Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Illuminatti
Attacker: The Enlightened (4)

We now take a break from your regularly scheduled authorial whining about sleep and time and self-discipline and lack of writerly productivity in order to celebrate that it's Saturday and that means puzzle 'til your eyes fall out and earn lots of PoE! In other words, it's blockade jobbin' time.

Do note that the flag Keeping the Peace, indicated below as declaring attack on Emerald Ocean's Basset Island (not to be confused with the millions of flags participating in that island's blockade with undeclared alliance status), is actually called Candle on the in-client schedule. I presume there's been a name change that Yoweb hasn't caught up with.

The Ice Ocean continues to be busy testing new features. On February 28, a global trade chat channel was added, to give enterprising pirates a place to broadcast their wares without gumming up ongoing conversations in the inn (and to give other pirates a specific channel to avoid if they don't wanna hear it). And on March 16 there was a setting update to improve client window scaling on "some 4K displays." If you can test it, Forculus requests your feedback, pretty please!

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, March 18 ***

12:00 p.m. - Ashkelon Arch, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Keep the Peace
Attacker: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (3)
Undeclared: Cuddly Sloths Of Doom
Undeclared: Millennium Maddness

12:24 p.m. - Basset Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Spoon Republic
Attacker: Black Queen
Attacker: Waiteri
Attacker: Keeping The Peace
Undeclared: Jealous Flag
Undeclared: Caught In Crossfire
Undeclared: Cluster Service
Undeclared: The Corsairs Alliance
Undeclared: Millennium Maddness
Undeclared: Delirium
Undeclared: GMT

8:00 p.m. - Viridis Island, Meridian Ocean
Defender: Dragon Lords
Attacker: Infamous

10:00 p.m. - Dendrite Island, Meridian Ocean
Defender: Radioactive
Attacker: Infamous

*** Sunday, March 19 ***

10:00 a.m. - Amity Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Black Flag
Attacker: The All-Consuming Flame (2)

12:00 p.m. - Fugu Island, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Imperial Coalition
Attacker: Jinx (3)

12:00 p.m. - Admiral Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Cuddly Sloths Of Doom
Attacker: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (10)

12:00 p.m. - Scrimshaw Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Cuddly Sloths Of Doom
Attacker: Ice Wyrm's Brood (6)

1:06 p.m. - Windward Vale, Meridian Ocean
Event: 1 round, nonsinking
Hosted by: Barely Dressed

Subscription Ocean Blockades

*** Sunday, March 19 ***

10:00 a.m. - Fintan Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Cerulean's Most Wanted
Attacker: Jinx (3)

It was a good weekend.

For one thing, I got the Friday Fictionette out only one day late. (That seems to be about as good as it gets, these past months.) "The Witch's Stories" (ebook, audiobook) is sort of a roundabout way of saying wherever you go, there you are, while reiterating that you still can go wherever. Really wherever. I drafted some of it at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, whose hospitality (and tea) is unparalleled.

(I began drafting this post at Conor O'Neill's, which ditto, only for "tea" substitute "beer and hearty pub grub". On a slow Monday night, it's nice to tuck myself into the table on the stage behind the stage-right big screen TV, and no one knows you're there. MAH WRITING NOOK, I HAS IT. Bonus if I get one of the EV charging spots behind the Boulder Country Commissioners office, which is available to all EV drivers outside of regular business hours.)

For another (writing) thing, I met with my brand new writing group. Which is, in a way, a freshly revived writing group, as it's currently all made up of people I met at NaNoWriMo write-ins, back in the day. We had dinner, shared works in progress, and enjoyed some designated writing time, all in the space of two hours. A+ would meet again. And will, if all goes well--we set a date for March.

I have sorely missed being in a face-to-face writing group. Oh, there's Codex, of course, but the face-to-face thing is important. I've missed having real-time conversations about writing. I've missed exchanging manuscript critiques with a group who have similar writing interests, similar writing goals, and similar writing skills to mine. I've missed having a writer's social life.

Heck, I've missed having a social life outside of roller derby. My derby peeps are awesome, but they are a large and vibrant league who not only skate together but also hang out together, host and attend events together, and fill up each other's Facebook timelines. And of course my husband coaches in the league, so derby concerns easily creep into family life as well. (The post-scrimmage discussions with Papa Whiskey can go right up to two in the morning.) So it's very easy for roller derby to consume all my available hours and social capital if I don't make deliberate efforts toward other endeavors.

One of my unstated New Year's Resolutions was to make a deliberate effort toward the writing part of my social life--to reach out to writing friends and see if we can't come together to talk shop or more. So I finally got around to emailing one of my old NaNoWriMo friends (sorry it took so long, Julie!) and, meanwhile, a couple other old NaNoWriMo friends who happen to have become derby friends in the meantime moseyed over and said "Hey, remember that writing thing...?"

I am feeling so energized about it. Also there is now pressure to dive back into my short story revision queue, or to start drafting the novel-in-planning, so that I'll have something I can share with the group. (I have already shared out copies of "Stand By for Your Assignment", but I need to work on another thing while I wait for feedback on that. Also I need to write up my thoughts on the stuff they shared with me. WHICH WAS SO GOOD, Y'ALL, why isn't MORE of those stories finished so I can read them SOONEST?!)

Meanwhile, there was today. Today I got a heroic amount of stuff done, which included hotel reservations and messages left with certain offices and dishes done, and which culminated with crashing my Homeowners' Association's board meeting since it was conveniently scheduled for a Monday. (The board was very inviting and receptive to my suggestions, but I may have just bought myself a new role on a soon-to-be-instigated committee to investigate the installation of a community EV charging station.) Also my daily writting gotta-dos. I was so good, y'all! So I rewarded myself with dinner anna beer an' YPP at Conor O'Neill's (hence the partial drafting of this post there--but only partially, because the EV charging station I was parked at had a posted limit of 4 hours).

In the course of the evening I was reminded that I also have a social life centered around Puzzle Pirates; my crew and flag on the Cerulean Ocean are very active, and they're always glad to see me when I log on. Which they notice I don't do nearly as frequently as I might. I believe the exact words were, "We're just happy to to see ye when ye can make it." Awwww. I suppose I should make it more often, then.

Ahoy and all that. This post is late because I wanted to include the Friday Fictionette announcement in it, which meant I had to finish publishing the thing first. The text was actually finished late last night, making this one the closest to on-time I've been in, I think, more than a month.

Thus:

Friday Fictionette for February 17: "Known Hazards of Employment in a Pawn Shop" (ebook, audiobook), which has much to do with the oxymoron "an infestation of will-o-the-wisps." I mean, how does that even work?

Puzzle Pirates blockade schedule and sundry news: Blockade schedule below; not much to say about it except it's there and it's hopping. Meanwhile, there have been a bunch of updates to the Ice Ocean that will be exciting to see released in production, among them some improvements to the YoWeb web pages and a "Sloop Mark II" that can be ordered from shipyards just like a regular sloop but which imitates limited edition sloops in floor plan and scene design.

And that's it. Have a great weekend!

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, February 18 ***

12:00 p.m. - Ansel Island, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Meridian's Most Wanted
Attacker: The Jade Empire (2)
(Not all that hopping actually; MMW does not appear to be defending)

6:30 p.m. - Doyle Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Chthonic Horde (1)
Attacker: Keep the Peace

*** Sunday, February 19 ***

10:00 a.m. - Caravanserai Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Cuddly Sloths Of Doom
Attacker: Black Flag

10:00 a.m. - Aimuari Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Illusion
Attacker: A Boosted Monkey

10:05 a.m. - Barbary Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Cuddly Sloths Of Doom
Attacker: Black Flag

12:00 p.m. - Armstrong Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Illusion
Attacker: A Boosted Monkey

Subscription Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, February 18 ***

12:04 p.m. - Kirin Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: The Enlightened (3)
Attacker: Babylon

*** Sunday, February 19 ***

11:58 a.m. - Terra Island, Cerulean Ocean
Defender: Secrets of the Deep
Defender: The Coalition

So, this is embarrassing. It's supposed to be an actually writing blog but of late there's more Puzzle Pirates content than actually writing content. It would be understandable if you thought I weren't actually writing. I mean, I am, but I'm constantly in "Oh crap I'm late mode" (see the abject failure to get Friday Fictionettes out on actual Fridays of late), so by the time it's blogging time it's also can't-think-brain-melted time. So.

But that won't be meaningfully solved by cutting out the Puzzle Pirates content, so, have a blockade schedule.

In addition to that, we've got some piratical events in the works:

Sloop giveaway (ongoing) - Scarpath of the Emerald Ocean is giving away two sloops each month, randomly and raffle style. To enter, just make your way over to Scarpath's Shipbuilding Stall on Lincoln Island (it's inside Freeport Docks) and sign the guestbook. Drawings will be on the first and third Saturdays of each month.

Egg Design Contents (deadline: March 2 11:59 PM) - It's egg design season for 2017! Clotho put out the call late last month along with all the details. Follow her instructions to submit a flat, wrappable design suitable to be rendered on egg furniture. Winners get a couple of the finished eggs to keep and the Gilded Egg trophy, if they don't already have one.

We've also had a client update this past week, resulting in (among other things) a change to how porting at embargoed islands is handled. You know how when your flag's at war with another flag, you'll find you can't port at islands owned by that flag? Well, you won't be able to port by handing the ship's deed off to someone in an uninvolved flag; vessel deeds can no longer be traded while that vessel is at sea. However, you can now bribe the dock officials to let you port. There'll be an interface for it that appears when you attempt to port at an embargoed island.

OK, so, I'm gonna go play a bit in the blockades myself before it's time to head over to the Boulder County Fairgrounds for tonight's adventures in roller derby. (I'll be a non-skating official in this one, since my sprained knee isn't quite healed up yet.) Then tomorrow it's a day off from derby so I can CATCH UP ON ALL THE WRITING THINGS. I hope to deliver a positive report at blog o'clock on Monday.

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, February 11 ***

12:00 p.m. - Corona Reef, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Infamous
Attacker: The All-Consuming Flame (3)

12:00 p.m. - Ashkelon Arch, Emerald Ocean
Defender: The Corsairs Alliance
Attacker: Keep the Peace
Undeclared: Spank Me Daddy

2:37 p.m. - Duat Island, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: The Enlightened (2)
Attacker: Switzerland
Attacker: Barely Dressed

4:25 p.m. - Doyle Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Chthonic Horde (2)
Attacker: Keep the Peace

9:42 p.m. - Basset Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Spoon Republic
Attacker: Legacy of the Hourglass

*** Sunday, February 12 ***

12:00 p.m. - Ilha da Aguia, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Keep the Peace
Attacker: The Enlightened (3)

Subscription Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, February 11 ***

12:00 p.m. - Byrne Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Dragon's Quest
Attacker: Ice Wyrm's Brood (3)

12:00 p.m. - Spectre Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Babylon
Attacker: Ice Wyrm's Brood (2)

*** Sunday, February 12 ***

10:00 a.m. - Guava Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Chthonic Horde (3)
Attacker: Riding High

Do not be fooled by the blockade activity scheduled on the Cerulean Ocean. The Cranberry Island blockade has been canceled, and Cold Steel will not be defending Guava Island. Babylon are hopping in on Guava, though, so you might find a job with them.

Beyond the blockades, we have a pet auction on the Meridian Ocean on Friday, February 10 at 6 PM, hosted by Infamous.

Meanwhile, it's a new month, so you seal-hunters have a new objective. To win your February 2017 Seal o' Piracy, you'll need to complete one buried treasure expedition. Sounds a lot less complicated than last month's Junk-and-Fanchuan extravaganza, don't it?

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, February 4 ***

12:39 p.m. - Admiral Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Rubber Duckies of Doom
Attacker: Pirate King

3:15 p.m. - Tumult Island, Emerald Ocean
Event: 7 rounds, nonsinking
Hosted by: Cluster Service

3:22 p.m. - Doyle Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Chthonic Horde (3)
Attacker: Black Flag

3:27 p.m. - Duat Island, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: The Enlightened (3)
Attacker: Jolly Roger

3:45 p.m. - Basset Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Illuminatti
Attacker: Spoon Republic

7:04 p.m. - Caravanserai Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Black Flag
Attacker: Cuddly Sloths Of Doom

7:05 p.m. - Barbary Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Black Flag
Attacker: Cuddly Sloths Of Doom

*** Sunday, February 5 ***

12:02 p.m. - Marlowe Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (1)
Attacker: Spoon Republic
Undeclared: Coming In Hot

12:03 p.m. - Kasidim Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Going Down
Attacker: Caught In Crossfire
Undeclared: Saints And Sinners

Subscription Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, February 4 ***

12:00 p.m. - Guava Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Cold Steel
Attacker: Chthonic Horde (3)
Undeclared: Babylon

2:56 p.m. - Cranberry Island, Cerulean Ocean
Defender: Raising Hull
Attacker: The Coalition

OK, so, I'm still behind on the Friday Fictionette stuff, but I'm going to do a Puzzle Pirates Blockade Report anyway because, hell, I gotta live a little. (Pause for the inevitable jokes about how if YPP is "living a little" then the author needs to get a life. Yes, you are very droll. Ha ha. Also, you can KISS MY RINK RASH.) In any case, the Jan 20 fictionette will be uploaded to Patreon in a couple hours or so, and the Jan 27 one will follow it just as soon after that as I can manage.

So! What've we got? About a kabillion blockades on the Cerulean Ocean, that's what. Also a handful on Emerald and a couple on Meridian. Jade and Opal remain quiet.

Aside o' that, the developers announced something rather exciting last month: Dark Seas!

The goal for Dark Seas is to introduce an entirely new ocean where the rules are a bit different. This shadowy new ocean is a volatile place full of more danger and unexplored frontiers. We are going to introduce some new theme and story elements involving an insidious darkness that is invading the ocean, affecting the appearance of the world and the very nature of the pirates who live there.

See post for more details. It generated a lively discussion, to which Forculus has responded this week. And that has sparked discussion, of course. I'm not going to try to summarize--I, er, still need to read all about it myself. But now you can too!...if you haven't already.

Also, an early heads-up: it's time for the semiannual transfer of ownership of the shipyard shop on Fort Royal on the Ice Ocean. This time around, the shop will go to the crew with the highest fame. To register your crew for consideration, follow the instructions on Demeter's announcement by January 31.

On to the blockades!

Standard reminders: Schedule is given in Pirate Time, or U.S. Pacific. Player flags link to Yoweb information pages; Brigand King Flags link to Yppedia Brigand King pages. BK amassed power given in parenthetical numbers, like so: (14). For more info about jobbing contacts, jobber pay, and Event Blockade battle board configuration, check the Blockade tab of your ocean's Notice Board. To get hired, apply under the Voyages tab.

Doubloon Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, January 28 ***

12:00 p.m. - Kirin Island, Meridian Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Barely Dressed
Attacker: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (5)
Undeclared: Icy Sun

12:00 p.m. - Sayers Rock, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Going Down
Attacker: Delirium
Undeclared: Sons Of Anarchy

10:01 p.m. - Admiral Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Rubber Duckies of Doom
Attacker: Cuddly Sloths Of Doom

*** Sunday, January 29 ***

10:00 a.m. - Pukru Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Illuminatti
Attacker: The Enlightened (4)

10:38 a.m. - Marlowe Island, Emerald Ocean
Brigand King holds the island!
Defender: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (2)
Attacker: Sons Of Anarchy

11:33 a.m. - Jubilee Island, Meridian Ocean
Defender: Velt's Boiyz
Attacker: Infamous

11:58 a.m. - Paihia Island, Emerald Ocean
Defender: Dead In The Water
Attacker: Caught In Crossfire

12:00 p.m. - Terra Island, Meridian Ocean
Defender: Infamous
Attacker: Dragon Lords

Subscription Ocean Blockades

*** Saturday, January 28 ***

12:00 p.m. - Iris Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Babylon
Attacker: Fleet of his Imperial Scaled Highness (4)
Undeclared: Fallen

5:00 p.m. - Vernal Equinox, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Attacker: Defiantly Deviant
Attacker: Ice Wyrm's Brood (3)

7:00 p.m. - Spectre Island, Cerulean Ocean
Defender: Elements of Fear
Attacker: Babylon

7:00 p.m. - Park Island, Cerulean Ocean
Defender: Elements of Fear
Attacker: Babylon

8:24 p.m. - Nu Island, Cerulean Ocean
Defender: Phantom's Realm
Attacker: The Coalition

8:32 p.m. - Eta Island, Cerulean Ocean
Defender: Public Enemies
Attacker: The Coalition

*** Sunday, January 29 ***

12:00 a.m. - Remora Island, Cerulean Ocean
Brigand King attack!
Defender: Undertow
Attacker: The Enlightened (4)