thegreenhordes

[thegreenhordes]

Final update before I start getting ready to post again.

Here's the timeline:

I'm going to spend about half a month to a full month drawing pages for the main story. I made myself anxious to the point of panic trying to get posts out on a week/two-week basis before, so taking my time to post things in bulk is going to be far more manageable for my nerves- and my wrist.

A week before I post the first batch of pages, I will post a written intro to the story, a short prologue before the Green Hordes became a known threat.

All posts will be in batches going forward, the goal being to ensure the wait times between posts don't feel too much like a slog.

The side blog I made for the written story series is @thegreenjournals. It is currently empty and will remain so until I start posting there, at which point I will post here to inform you that I've started writing there.

[thegreenhordes]

Character redesign update (more Mane Six) Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash!

[thegreenhordes]

Update! (Writing side)

I have made a secondary blog (Tied to this one) that I will be using in the future for the written stories in this AU. It is where you will find the future semi-retellings of Twilight's Notes, Mother's Woes, Survivor Diaries, etc. also I'm queuing my posts right now bc most of my followers seem to be mostly active when I'm asleep (I have a better sleep schedule now, woo!).

[thegreenhordes]

Update on (art side) progress: Redesigns for Null, Penny, and three of the main six. I tried thinking out their designs a little more, cause I'm finicky when it comes to character design. These are final, so if I change anything else, hit me with a stick or something. The other three Main Six designs will be shown once I've finished drawing out the different locations, so I have references on hand and don't panic every time I have to draw a background. I have nearly finished the writing side, too. I should be able to start working on future posts by the end of the month.

[thegreenhordes]

height difference between a normal unicorn (sans cutiemark since this is just a pony for comparison) and Null the Stranger's full height (Head and Horn)

[thegreenhordes]

ugh, trying to upload an image to show something Null related and I keep getting error messages. I keep messing with the image to make it work but Tumblr is not having it.

[thegreenhordes]

Will be posting an update on my progress sometime this month! and I wanted to let you all know that I am seeking to make Null the Stranger uncanny looking next to other unicorns. Boy is tall, and his porportions are off- and yeah it is gonna tie into his personal story, he isn't odd looking for the sake of it. I'm working on finalizing designs in between the overall minor writing changes I mentioned before. Once I start posting properly again I'm either going to do small bursts of posts for a week then break to draw more for a few weeks, or i'm going to post a lot in a day each month and spend the rest of said month drawing for next month. it depends on what works best for my wrist and back. either way works for reducing stress though.

[thegreenhordes]

hello

so it will be a while yet while I get things together, but since it's been a bit since my last post I wanted to give some updates on what has been going on + a heads up regarding the future of the blog. I'll be doing this in list form.

Updates: . Still getting stuff together, but I'm getting closer to my goals. I've had some roadblocks, though. . Family drama keeps messing with me, and I've had several mental health crises. I'm doing better, but it will be some time before I'm truly okay. I'll survive, though, I always do. . Computer issues. My laptop is going to go kaput on me soon, but thankfully, I have family willing to help me out. I'll be helping with monthly payments, and I have a new, better PC coming somewhat soon. (Note PC instead of Laptop, I'm finally going back to desktop computers after over a decade of nothing but laptops.) . I'm so damn close to getting my business up and running. I won't be advertising on my blog, but I may give updates on my success (if I have any) once things are up and running. Future Blog Shtuff: . I've realised there are some things I'm not happy about, so I've made the decision to keep what I already have up, but to otherwise kind of start fresh. I'm unhappy primarily with the reliance on asks- not enough people seem interested in interacting directly with the characters. . I'll be leaving the ability to send asks up, but they won't be as necessary to move the plot forward as I was hoping they'd be before. I should have anticipated this, honestly, because there isn't as much interest in interaction when canon characters aren't the main focal point. I'm not complaining or whinging, I don't want anyone thinking I'm annoyed- It's on me that I let my story's ability to proceed, plans or no, rely on interaction with the viewers. You can't have much fun, well, viewing, if the story isn't actually going anywhere yet, now can you? . What you've seen thus far will still be mostly the same, I'll just be updating stuff and reworking the Green Hordes plague a tiny bit. Artstyle update probably too. Basically a remaster more than a remake. All stories written are still canon, but may be re-posted with slight changes later on. . I'll be putting out a poll soon, asking y'all something about lore. Specifically, if you want more of the Lore behind Null and the Plague to be spoon-fed over time, upfront right away, or super slow-burn like I was doing. Love and peace to all of you, I'll be queuing this post for tomorrow too, since I'm posting this at 2:20 AM, where I am.

[thegreenhordes]

Before I go back into my Hiatus (where I will be spending at least half that time prepping for my official, full return), I wanted to leave y'all with a peek at a possible Null redesign. Wanted to go for a more goat-like appearance for unicorns.

[thegreenhordes]

hello

so it will be a while yet while I get things together, but since it's been a bit since my last post I wanted to give some updates on what has been going on + a heads up regarding the future of the blog. I'll be doing this in list form.

Updates: . Still getting stuff together, but I'm getting closer to my goals. I've had some roadblocks, though. . Family drama keeps messing with me, and I've had several mental health crises. I'm doing better, but it will be some time before I'm truly okay. I'll survive, though, I always do. . Computer issues. My laptop is going to go kaput on me soon, but thankfully, I have family willing to help me out. I'll be helping with monthly payments, and I have a new, better PC coming somewhat soon. (Note PC instead of Laptop, I'm finally going back to desktop computers after over a decade of nothing but laptops.) . I'm so damn close to getting my business up and running. I won't be advertising on my blog, but I may give updates on my success (if I have any) once things are up and running. Future Blog Shtuff: . I've realised there are some things I'm not happy about, so I've made the decision to keep what I already have up, but to otherwise kind of start fresh. I'm unhappy primarily with the reliance on asks- not enough people seem interested in interacting directly with the characters. . I'll be leaving the ability to send asks up, but they won't be as necessary to move the plot forward as I was hoping they'd be before. I should have anticipated this, honestly, because there isn't as much interest in interaction when canon characters aren't the main focal point. I'm not complaining or whinging, I don't want anyone thinking I'm annoyed- It's on me that I let my story's ability to proceed, plans or no, rely on interaction with the viewers. You can't have much fun, well, viewing, if the story isn't actually going anywhere yet, now can you? . What you've seen thus far will still be mostly the same, I'll just be updating stuff and reworking the Green Hordes plague a tiny bit. Artstyle update probably too. Basically a remaster more than a remake. All stories written are still canon, but may be re-posted with slight changes later on. . I'll be putting out a poll soon, asking y'all something about lore. Specifically, if you want more of the Lore behind Null and the Plague to be spoon-fed over time, upfront right away, or super slow-burn like I was doing. Love and peace to all of you, I'll be queuing this post for tomorrow too, since I'm posting this at 2:20 AM, where I am.

[thegreenhordes]

Hiatus (Temp, not indefinite)

okay, so, without sharing too much- I have a lot going on at once. I'm trying to start a small business, working on other personal projects, have family matters to deal with, etc. etc. and I'm not able to keep up with it. I've had multiple close calls, having become physically ill from my anxiety and stress. I need to take a few things off my plate until my time and work is more manageable again. So, the blog is going to be on Hiatus for the time being. I may pop in on occasion with updates on my situation + AU related things, but I am severely in need of just taking a step back from everything that isn't an immediate need. I should note that my therapist suggested this as well and after some reflection I think he's right. I'm not just going to lose steam if I keep pushing myself regardless of my means, I'm going to lose interest in the things I love entirely- and then were would I be? I don't want these things to become a chore, I want people to see what I do and know I enjoyed doing it. Love y'all, sorry I'm never able to stay consistent. Being a tangled mess of nerves and anxiety and chronic issues can really mess with a guy's momentum.

[thegreenhordes]

working on the next post but I got other stuff going on so I only have a small amount of time each day to actually draw

[thegreenhordes]

Text from the book in the previous post, for those who could not read (understandable, due to the writing being the way it is.) "Another day, another struggle. I sit now in my lab binding more injuries and suffering compounding symptoms. Perhaps it is hubris that taunts me, perhaps it is some sick idea of 'Luck'. It doesn't matter the why though, I've more important matters to consider. Such as this... . Twelve Bites, one amputated . Claw marks from a wild animal, in recent contact with infected . Gouged eye from a watcher digging its hooves into my face I am not immune. When I am bitten I experience all the early symptoms of infection. However, I never progress past the early stage. Of course I have been documenting every experience as they come in my research journals. The wild animal scratches yielded no sign of the Glow, the gouged eye nearly became septic and thus I had no solid study, but the bites yielded many insightful results. My first bite experience was understandably distressing. When I recovered I simply thought myself lucky. When I was bitten on the tail I amputated it- this did not stop the infection. Unsure as to if this is a results of timing of the amputation or simply rapid movement of the infection through the body. One thing clear through all these moments I went through the early stage? None lasted more than a week."

[thegreenhordes]

The room is dark, the flickering of a fading candle the only source of illumination. The tiny flame casts the faint shadow of a looming figure, tall and thin even as he sits- Null, the Stranger, he who came from nowhere and keeps his secrets close to his chest. A sound floats through the room, his lab and library. His quill glides across the parchment of his research journal as he muses over his discoveries. One long ear twitches as his writing comes to an end. Null stares long and hard at the paper with his one eye, his gaze sharp. He is unmasked, a prominent scar across his muzzle on display. He does not know that his privacy is breached in this moment, does not know that you are watching, again. A sigh escapes him. "No matter the progress made, it never feels like enough," Null mumbles to himself in a frustrated, defeated tone. "But it Has to be enough..." Opening the curtains to glimpse outside Null's thoughts screech to a momentary halt. Annoyance becomes his cardinal emotion now as he stares down the body laying in the road. Only its' hind quarters are visible from here, but the trail of still red blood tells him this was recent. Likely within the past hour. "Damn it- Another one? Fresh too..." He muses "Better clean up before it attracts strays." Green magic floods the dark of the room as the medical drawer is opened and a bandage wrap pulled out. Null carefully begins to wrap his legs, bitten and sporting tiny streams of blood. Then, he moves to his right eye, placing a medical patch over the dry, empty socket. Finally he reaches his torso, riddled in bites. They bleed still like his legs, but much in the way scabs bleed when peeled- Null has long adjusted to the repeated scabbing of his bites that never fade. "The number of infected grows ever larger, I fear my research is getting me nowhere." A light flashes from a broken mirror- just his magic catching the glass? "Should I alter course? Take the risk and seek audience? No. No, not yet... I still have time." A tiny voice interrupts him from beyond the door. "Null?" Asks Penny. "I'm coming, I'll be there in a moment." When Null opens the door he must bend down slightly to walk through, just enough that his horn doesn't catch on the door frame. Penny is waiting right outside the room, and positions herself as close to him as she can get as she cranes her neck up to look Null in the eye. She whines, the tiniest pout on her face. "You were in there aaaaaaall day! I ran out of snack rations." He hears her stomach rumble, and finds it safe to assume she's been hungry for a little while. A tiny bit of self loathing strikes him before he shoves it away. "How tragic." He tells her in a monotone voice, though he gives her the tiniest of smiles to reassure he means well. Penny shuffles on her front hooves a bit as sudden excitement shines in her eyes. "Ooooh can you make me some Cream of Wheat? Please Please Please!" His young charge begs, her two-toned eyes staring into his very soul. She's long learned that Null has a hard time saying no to her, and uses it to her advantage often. Null begins to walk around her, his hooves making nearly no noise as he moves. "Oh Alright." He says, his smile widening as Penny squeals in delight from behind him. She rushes ahead and towards the Kitchen. "Yaaaay!" The Filly cheers as she vanishes from the hallway. [Always there, always watching. What happened to him? You've doomed them all.]

[thegreenhordes]

New Height Difference

Old height difference.

Do you see? Do you bear witness to my vision? My boy big af. Also keep in mind that in the new height dif picture, Nulls head is not in frame. His mane in the panel is just covering his neck, his head is above the panel's edge.

[thegreenhordes]

Still working on the post, but im also putting together things I'll need to get my family out of the US. Hoping things won't get so extreme that fleeing becomes our only option, but with how things are looking I'm wanting to be prepared. Hoping to get the post up before next Thursday.

Love yall, take care of yourselves okay?