TORG Gaming Expo Info and Roll Call: November 1st, 2024 - November 3rd, 2024 (Columbus, Ohio)

[ZeldaCat]

Good morning 405th TORG participants!

I am here to announce instructions for a skit that will be taking place Saturday morning for the opening ceremony of TORG! TORG event staff reached out to us to develop a little something for con-open, so OFiveTwo, Rosebud, JTF4, NobleofDeath16, and myself along with event staff have come up with this plan. Please read through and understand the following information, as we hope to have as many costumed Spartans participate in the opening ceremony as possible!

8:15am – VIP Wave Lineup

Please be in your suit and ready for the VIP door-open. We will be located just inside the main entrance in a line formation to welcome all the VIP attendees.​

9:00am – VIPs Enter

VIP attendees will enter.​

9:15am – Main Wave Lineup

Call time for opening ceremony skit.​

9:30am to 9:45am – Opening Ceremony Skit

TORG has re-appearing characters that are present at each year’s welcome ceremony. They will be incorporated in this year’s as well. They are (from left to right) Torque Man, TORG-man, and the Hoarder.​

​

​

View attachment 353938​

​

The skit takes place outside the convention hall where attendees will be queueing to get in. The Hoarder will take his place near the front of the crowd near the entrance. The Hoarder will be holding a flag, and will be shielded by event volunteers called “minions”. Our army of Spartans commences near the back of the crowd with Torque-man and TORG-man.​

​

Over a loudspeaker you will hear the iconic line “Flag stolen!” At this point the Spartans, along with Torque-man and TORG-man, will begin searching amongst the crowd for the enemy that has stolen our flag. Spartans will interact with attendees, perhaps using line like “We are looking for the one who has stolen out flag! Alert us if you see him!” or “We need to get that flag back soldiers! Locate the enemy!” Really get involved with folks here, make it an exciting experience! We may even make some Halo-themed “Wanted” posters to help you in your search. While you are doing this slowly make you way up the sides of the crowd toward the entrance where the Hoarder is.​

​

After a period of frantic searching the Hoarder will be spotted by our Spartans and will begin being chased into the convention hall. Please note that the lovely event staff member who will be playing the Hoarder cannot run due to an injury, only walk fast. To keep our fast-pace chase energy, consider a more chaotic and disorganized approach to your army communication. Perhaps running to tell your fellow Spartans that you’ve spotted the enemy before chasing the enemy, for example.​

​

TORG-man will announce “Send in OMEGA TEAM!” Omega team lines will be played through the loudspeaker while our very own Omega team (SSGLordBert, SSGLordElmo, SSGLordErne) chase the Hoarder in, followed by our Spartans, who will then be followed by Torque-man and TORG-man. After all Spartans have made it in, the doors will close and the crowd will hear a gauss canon go off over the loudspeaker, followed by the Halo-3-Spartan-dying sound effect, followed by “Flag dropped!”​

​

The skit will conclude around 9:45 to give attendees some time to wonder what the heck just happened.​

10:00am – Doors Open

All Spartans will be lined up inside the convention hall as they were to welcome the VIP guests with the addition of Omega team detaining the Hoarder. We will continue to stay in formation until the majority of the line outside the convention hall has dwindled. After that you can feel free to go to your booth and Extra-Life obligations, or to begin wandering the convention hall.​

Notes

The Mini-Mayhem stream event may be moved to another time slot to allow OFiveTwo and myself to organize you folks for the opening ceremony. Stay tuned for an update on that!

Treat attendee interactions with the same care you would the live stream; that is, no profanity, no pointing your gun at people, etc. You never know who it is you’re interacting with. For all we know your boss, grandmother, your favourite voice actor, or the event runner could be in the crowd. Let’s make sure we put our best foot forward for them, eh?

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SATURDAY MORNING!

Will handlers and others that are coming with 405th members be able to participate in this? My older brother and a couple of friends will be with me

 

[Negativecacti]

Good morning 405th TORG participants!

I am here to announce instructions for a skit that will be taking place Saturday morning for the opening ceremony of TORG! TORG event staff reached out to us to develop a little something for con-open, so OFiveTwo, Rosebud, JTF4, NobleofDeath16, and myself along with event staff have come up with this plan. Please read through and understand the following information, as we hope to have as many costumed Spartans participate in the opening ceremony as possible!

8:15am – VIP Wave Lineup

Please be in your suit and ready for the VIP door-open. We will be located just inside the main entrance in a line formation to welcome all the VIP attendees.​

9:00am – VIPs Enter

VIP attendees will enter.​

9:15am – Main Wave Lineup

Call time for opening ceremony skit.​

9:30am to 9:45am – Opening Ceremony Skit

TORG has re-appearing characters that are present at each year’s welcome ceremony. They will be incorporated in this year’s as well. They are (from left to right) Torque Man, TORG-man, and the Hoarder.​

​

​

View attachment 353938​

​

The skit takes place outside the convention hall where attendees will be queueing to get in. The Hoarder will take his place near the front of the crowd near the entrance. The Hoarder will be holding a flag, and will be shielded by event volunteers called “minions”. Our army of Spartans commences near the back of the crowd with Torque-man and TORG-man.​

​

Over a loudspeaker you will hear the iconic line “Flag stolen!” At this point the Spartans, along with Torque-man and TORG-man, will begin searching amongst the crowd for the enemy that has stolen our flag. Spartans will interact with attendees, perhaps using line like “We are looking for the one who has stolen out flag! Alert us if you see him!” or “We need to get that flag back soldiers! Locate the enemy!” Really get involved with folks here, make it an exciting experience! We may even make some Halo-themed “Wanted” posters to help you in your search. While you are doing this slowly make you way up the sides of the crowd toward the entrance where the Hoarder is.​

​

After a period of frantic searching the Hoarder will be spotted by our Spartans and will begin being chased into the convention hall. Please note that the lovely event staff member who will be playing the Hoarder cannot run due to an injury, only walk fast. To keep our fast-pace chase energy, consider a more chaotic and disorganized approach to your army communication. Perhaps running to tell your fellow Spartans that you’ve spotted the enemy before chasing the enemy, for example.​

​

TORG-man will announce “Send in OMEGA TEAM!” Omega team lines will be played through the loudspeaker while our very own Omega team (SSGLordBert, SSGLordElmo, SSGLordErne) chase the Hoarder in, followed by our Spartans, who will then be followed by Torque-man and TORG-man. After all Spartans have made it in, the doors will close and the crowd will hear a gauss canon go off over the loudspeaker, followed by the Halo-3-Spartan-dying sound effect, followed by “Flag dropped!”​

​

The skit will conclude around 9:45 to give attendees some time to wonder what the heck just happened.​

10:00am – Doors Open

All Spartans will be lined up inside the convention hall as they were to welcome the VIP guests with the addition of Omega team detaining the Hoarder. We will continue to stay in formation until the majority of the line outside the convention hall has dwindled. After that you can feel free to go to your booth and Extra-Life obligations, or to begin wandering the convention hall.​

Notes

The Mini-Mayhem stream event may be moved to another time slot to allow OFiveTwo and myself to organize you folks for the opening ceremony. Stay tuned for an update on that!

Treat attendee interactions with the same care you would the live stream; that is, no profanity, no pointing your gun at people, etc. You never know who it is you’re interacting with. For all we know your boss, grandmother, your favourite voice actor, or the event runner could be in the crowd. Let’s make sure we put our best foot forward for them, eh?

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SATURDAY MORNING!

Do you need volunteers or is everyone participating?

 

[N8TEBB]

Will handlers and others that are coming with 405th members be able to participate in this? My older brother and a couple of friends will be with me

The event staff we spoke to specifically requested Spartans. ODSTs and Marines that are fully armoured and helmeted are welcome as well. That being said, it's not a bad idea to have handlers available should one of us have a suit malfunction. Seeing as this situation requires us to be in the convention before doors-open it will be required that any handlers involved in this skit are listed on the attendance sheet and will be receiving a badge that allows them early access. Handlers also need to meet a few requirements outlined in the 405th Event FAQ. I'll copy a few points that may be particularly relevant to yourself and your friends.

Handlers are members in “Soft Costumes,” or members out of costume who can act as the eyes and ears of the helmeted and armored members. They can better communicate with the organizers and members of the public, and can scout out paths to ensure there are no hazards (or at least be able to tell members where those hazards are).

Handlers should always be over the age of 18.

Handlers are not required to be 405th members, but if they are not or have no experience in wearing a helmeted costume, they need to be educated in what the members can and can't see or do.

In the case of this skit it will be required that they are on our attendance sheet and receiving a partner-badge

If the members end up in a situation with a crowd of people, the handlers can take control of the situation and politely direct the public how to get a photo etc. Handlers should be firm but never bossy or aggressive.

Remember that the handlers will not be taking part in the skit directly, rather solely looking out for the costumed members. I hope this answers your question!

 

[N8TEBB]

Do you need volunteers or is everyone participating?

We won't be taking a specific attendance list for the skit, but we would like everyone that doesn't have a extra-life stream obligation to participate! No RSVP necessary

 

[Negativecacti]

We won't be taking a specific attendance list for the skit, but we would like everyone that doesn't have a extra-life stream obligation to participate! No RSVP necessary

I can help with my extra life starts at 11am

 

[ZeldaCat]

The event staff we spoke to specifically requested Spartans. ODSTs and Marines that are fully armoured and helmeted are welcome as well. That being said, it's not a bad idea to have handlers available should one of us have a suit malfunction. Seeing as this situation requires us to be in the convention before doors-open it will be required that any handlers involved in this skit are listed on the attendance sheet and will be receiving a badge that allows them early access. Handlers also need to meet a few requirements outlined in the 405th Event FAQ. I'll copy a few points that may be particularly relevant to yourself and your friends.



In the case of this skit it will be required that they are on our attendance sheet and receiving a partner-badge


Remember that the handlers will not be taking part in the skit directly, rather solely looking out for the costumed members. I hope this answers your question!

My older brother(you met him at the meetup in June) fits under these parameters, but my two friends that are coming to the con(all three of them are already listed on the spreadsheet) aren’t 18+, so I think maybe my older brother and I could show up for the skit and the other two could come in and join up with us a little bit later.

(One of my friends and my brother will also be with me on Friday, and the other friend is going to be joining us for Saturday and Sunday)

 

[SpicyMcTuna]

The event staff we spoke to specifically requested Spartans. ODSTs and Marines that are fully armoured and helmeted are welcome as well. That being said, it's not a bad idea to have handlers available should one of us have a suit malfunction. Seeing as this situation requires us to be in the convention before doors-open it will be required that any handlers involved in this skit are listed on the attendance sheet and will be receiving a badge that allows them early access. Handlers also need to meet a few requirements outlined in the 405th Event FAQ. I'll copy a few points that may be particularly relevant to yourself and your friends.



In the case of this skit it will be required that they are on our attendance sheet and receiving a partner-badge


Remember that the handlers will not be taking part in the skit directly, rather solely looking out for the costumed members. I hope this answers your question!

Since I’m in a covenant cosplay should I sit this one out? Or would you like me to participate?

 

[N8TEBB]

My older brother(you met him at the meetup in June) fits under these parameters, but my two friends that are coming to the con(all three of them are already listed on the spreadsheet) aren’t 18+, so I think maybe my older brother and I could show up for the skit and the other two could come in and join up with us a little bit later.

(One of my friends and my brother will also be with me on Friday, and the other friend is going to be joining us for Saturday and Sunday)

Alrighty! Even though not everyone will be able to participate in this skit there will be LOTS of fun shenanigans going on throughout the entire weekend! So don't feel like you're missing out.

Since I’m in a covenant cosplay should I sit this one out? Or would you like me to participate?

Elites can play CFT too! I'd love for you to join in.

I can help with my extra life starts at 11am

A few slots have been moved for various reasons. I believe the shift affects the time of your event.

 

[Negativecacti]

You are correct sir

 

[NobleofDeath16]

Let’s talk load in.

Vendor load in starts at 8am on Friday the 1st, and we can accommodate you until around 10pm. For those of you with low inventory, artists with things not too heavy, or if you’re staying at one of the attached hotels, I’d advise you to take advantage of the surrounding parking garages (and remember the hotel we’re using that is linked above is giving 20% off parking all weekend).


There are tons of entrances to the convention center from the garages or even the streets that would be better suited for those with one table or a lighter load. There are elevators to get you down to the exhibit halls if you are coming from the hotels or parked in a higher level of the garage, but the exhibit halls are also accessible from the street level.

Coming in through the main doors of the Exhibit Halls is going to get you checked in and going very fast with no lines. If you are needing to use the dock, there are two, and you will be limited to 25 minutes to unload everything there and you must move at that time. They will have dock guards and staff making sure of this, this is a strict rule enforced by the convention center. Once you unload you have several options for parking.

If you have been given permission to load in on Thursday, the time for load in is from 12pm to 3pm. For those with semis, flat beds, or large trucks; we have limited dock passes that will allow you to park at the dock for the entire time.

You MUST contact me at my email (not this one) to secure a dock pass. These are incredibly limited, like 4 left. My email is rachel@torgevents.com

THERE IS NO VENDOR CHECK IN OR DOCK LOAD IN SATURDAY

 

[SSGLordErne]

I know I have extra 405th stickers and temporary tattoos, plenty of Outpost Discovery Dog Tags, and we can give everyone a copy of the 405th Activity Book. I also have some extra Chief and Cortana Vinyl Decals floating around that came as extras with some UNSC logo decals I ordered a while back that can be given away.

As an FYI some Guests and Celebrities are uncomfortable with food products, especially if they aren't in like a known manufacturer's sealed packing. Not saying they won't take it, but something to keep in mind.

I've got a box of about 350 halo related stickers I'm bringing

 

[shotanvil]

I'll be there

 

[N8TEBB]

Shared google drive for all your photos! 2024 - Google Drive

 

[caml3]

It was so cool seeing stopping by the booth over the weekend! Really loved the setup. Getting to see all the suits and props in-person was also incredible. Hoping to see more in the future!

 

[ZeldaCat]

The con was a lot of fun, and I can't wait for the next one!

 

[Attilla13]

Hello. This is Blake from Mantic Games. I just wanted to thank all of you for such a nice welcome at TORG! I had a blast and you guys were all awesome! I very much hope to see you guys around! But for more info you can check flashpoint.manticgames.com.

 

[NewBrody]

Hello. This is Blake from Mantic Games. I just wanted to thank all of you for such a nice welcome at TORG! I had a blast and you guys were all awesome! I very much hope to see you guys around! But for more info you can check flashpoint.manticgames.com.

It was such a pleasure to meet you and try out flashpoint. Thanks for demoing it for us, I definitely had a fun time with the game!

 

[N8TEBB]

Now that I've gotten some rest from this past weekend I wanted to send a you all a note on how much I appreciated this time we had at the convention. You all really made this past weekend one of the most wonderful and memorable convention experiences I have ever had!

NobleofDeath16, Thank you for making the super last-second trip out to Columbus. You did an absolutely phenomenal job spearheading this event and leading us in the livestream. You did a wonderful job commentating on all of the stream segments you were on (and you were on a LOT of stream segments), you got all of our hotels organized, and you were always very helpful and in-the-loop when I needed help. Thank you!

Spidermonkey60, Thank you for doing a wonderful job hosting stream segments and helping organize! Every time mnkr was on the mike I thought I was watching live TV with the way you flawlessly commentated on the segments. I know you did a ton of work behind the scenes as well so thank you for that!

Fallen, I know you did a lot of work behind the scenes for this convention. Thank you for all the hard work you do for this community! Also, thank you so much for being the cause of me losing my mostly-built fusion coil! Even though I was sad to lose a prop, I could be happy knowing it was because of your overwhelming generosity.

Cadet, It was so wonderful to see you in person once again. You have done so much for the 405th as a whole and it's always a pleasure to be part of a booth with you. Thank you so so much for your very kind words you shared with me at the end of our time together. You have done such a tremendous job leading the 405th over the years so I know that your words of thankfulness are the most genuine and truthful. Thank you for the Distinguished Service Award and the lovely coin you gave me. These mean so much to me, I really treasure them. I am so so thankful to be in this wonderful community with you especially.

Emp Frosty, thank you for all of your hard work taking photos throughout the convention! As usual you've knocked them out of the park! Terribly sorry I kept bugging you for photos though haha. No offense to anyone else, Frosty takes KILLER photos so if there's a chance he's available to get a shot, he's my go-to guy.

SSGLordBert SSGLordErne SSGLordElmo it was a pleasure to see you guys again! Your new suits look absolutely phenomenal! Omega team was such a big hit this weekend. Thank you so much for you participation in the opening skit on Saturday, and especially for being so willing to make so many last-second changes and being so adaptive as new information kept coming in. You guys did a great job being being in charge of the arsenal for mini mayhem as well. It was an honour to be attacked by you XD

Benton188 thank you so much for making the trip out to us and for renting a van to bring your amazing large displays and vehicles. The ghost was certainly a major highlight of the booth. Everyone from the average passer-by to the halo voice actors were so impressed by your hard work! Your works really stands out as being exceptional. Thank you for doing so much for the booth, and I hope you are beginning to feel much better.

Rosebud it was wonderful to see you again as well! You've done a great job on your mini-warthog. Thanks for bringing your hard work to the convention for us all to enjoy and drive around. It's always good to see you again.

Parzival FuriousFido thank you for coming! I'm glad we got to get some photos together all dresses up in our suit-suits. I had a great time with you guys and your lovely gfs/wives. Good to see you again!

antrodite thank you for you generous gift of flowers! And thank you for making sure we got some photos together all dressed up! That mini photoshoot we did on Friday night was so much fun! I must say, you look quite dapper in your Washington-themed suit. I'm so happy I got to see you again. Thank you for coming.

KaeSpoon Jocko03 I'm so thankful that I have the privilege of knowing you guys! I know you both have make quite the journey to come to Midwest events and I am so happy you do! Seeing my friends from way down south is such a privilege. Doing Mini-Mayhem with you was the highlight of my weekend for sure. You guys are so pleasant to be around. Thank you for coming!

Wayward Flood SpartanSweed I know you play a big part in organizing these booths. Thank you for bringing resources and your outstanding costumes to be a part of this booth! You do so much for us, Thank you.

marinesniper Thank you for your extra special engraved coin with myself and JT on it. It is an extra special gift. You're so very thoughtful and I am glad I got to see you again this past weekend. You're so much fun to chat with. Thank you for bringing your cheerful attitude that you're so well known for.

Wendi82 You're a legend for making the grand journey all the way from Scotland. I always love seeing you!

SoleofDeath Thank you for all the work you do for this community. You do such a great job helping set up and tear down, bring resources for the booth, and being a friend to everyone. Good to see you again.

OFiveTwo It was truly wonderful to be with you again. You are a legend for just how much work you put into the Extra-Life stream. Seriously, pretty much every time I looked over to see what was going on, there you were being the star of the show. You did such a great job being engaging, funny, and leading out viewers through each segment of the stream. You were a great Mini-Mayhem host as well. I'm so thankful I got to see you again, be your roomie, and hang out with you. Kudos to you for a job well done.

CozmiqVixen Unfit Armory Negativecacti ZeldaCat HoundsOfMeath Spartan4204 TwoOneSix tahu505 WylieCoyote074 CherriDragon Skidmorpheus It was so wonderful to see all of you again! You are all such wonderful people and I have a blast when I get to be with you. Keep up all the wonderful work you do on your costumes and the work you do for this community. Thank you for coming!

SeaSickle nerdman234 SpicyMcTuna Spartan Of Vale @Real Life Spartan Satan Farted Bloxxer axolotl It was so wonderful meeting you! (I apologize if I've technically met you in the past and am mistaken, in which case it was nice to see you again!) It was so nice to see your suits, props, and learn about who you guys are! You all have such unique costumes and experience and I am so happy I could learn about it all. I hope to see you all at another convention in the future.

And now for a few extra-special and extra-personal mentions.

Schankerz NewBrody This convention was made extra special because I was accompanied by my Canadian Regiment friends. When I first joined the 405th, it was YOU guys that introduced me to conventions and the local 405th members in Toronto. Since then I've been quite active in both the Canadian Regiment and the Midwest Regiment, it was so special that I was able to bring you guys along with me to this convention this past weekend to meet all of my Midwest friends. Without you especially Schankerz, I do not think I would have ever understood how awesome the 405th community is and participated in conventions like this. You see all these names I've mentioned above? You were the gateway to meeting all of them. I'm so glad you both could come with me and meet them in person. On top of that, you guys are just lovely to be around! You're so friendly, cheerful, and well... just my kind of people. Not to mention your suits are EPIC. It was a great experience. I can't wait to do it again with you soon.

Last but certainly not least, JTF4, you mad lad. You sir have gone above and beyond in every way imaginable to make this TORG booth and charity streaming event the absolute best is can be. You really took it up to 11 with the stage, sound system, cameras, projectors, and especially your tech and know-how. It's so clear that you have a deep love and passion for this community and its members, as well as the causes it supports. You put in so many sleepless nights, hard labour, and soooo much care into everything you did for us. I am so so thankful for all of your hard work, for how much you care, and most of all that I have the honour and privilege of calling you my friend. I am so proud of you.

For those I forgot to mention specifically, please do not be offended! Remember, this is the guy who forgot his GRAVITY HAMMER at C2E2 in April... my memory isn't always the best. I had a great time with EVERYONE I interacted with. You are all amazing.

And now to everyone: Thank you for making this past weekend so wonderful! YOU are the reason the 405th is so amazing. YOU are why people get so excited about halo cosplay. YOU are an inspiration to so many people. I am so proud of you all for successful convention and stream! I love you guys. I can't wait until I get to see you all again! <3

-N8

 

[Parzival]

-N8

As always, beautiful words Nate, they're appreciated and I just know you mean each one. Keep being you!

Backatchya man, a pleasure to see you alongside everyone else and be complete nerds/goofballs for a few days straight.

until next time (C2? (insert eyes emoji here))

 

[KaeSpoon]

Now that I've gotten some rest from this past weekend I wanted to send a you all a note on how much I appreciated this time we had at the convention. You all really made this past weekend one of the most wonderful and memorable convention experiences I have ever had!

NobleofDeath16, Thank you for making the super last-second trip out to Columbus. You did an absolutely phenomenal job spearheading this event and leading us in the livestream. You did a wonderful job commentating on all of the stream segments you were on (and you were on a LOT of stream segments), you got all of our hotels organized, and you were always very helpful and in-the-loop when I needed help. Thank you!

Spidermonkey60, Thank you for doing a wonderful job hosting stream segments and helping organize! Every time mnkr was on the mike I thought I was watching live TV with the way you flawlessly commentated on the segments. I know you did a ton of work behind the scenes as well so thank you for that!

Fallen, I know you did a lot of work behind the scenes for this convention. Thank you for all the hard work you do for this community! Also, thank you so much for being the cause of me losing my mostly-built fusion coil! Even though I was sad to lose a prop, I could be happy knowing it was because of your overwhelming generosity.

Cadet, It was so wonderful to see you in person once again. You have done so much for the 405th as a whole and it's always a pleasure to be part of a booth with you. Thank you so so much for your very kind words you shared with me at the end of our time together. You have done such a tremendous job leading the 405th over the years so I know that your words of thankfulness are the most genuine and truthful. Thank you for the Distinguished Service Award and the lovely coin you gave me. These mean so much to me, I really treasure them. I am so so thankful to be in this wonderful community with you especially.

Emp Frosty, thank you for all of your hard work taking photos throughout the convention! As usual you've knocked them out of the park! Terribly sorry I kept bugging you for photos though haha. No offense to anyone else, Frosty takes KILLER photos so if there's a chance he's available to get a shot, he's my go-to guy.

SSGLordBert SSGLordErne SSGLordElmo it was a pleasure to see you guys again! Your new suits look absolutely phenomenal! Omega team was such a big hit this weekend. Thank you so much for you participation in the opening skit on Saturday, and especially for being so willing to make so many last-second changes and being so adaptive as new information kept coming in. You guys did a great job being being in charge of the arsenal for mini mayhem as well. It was an honour to be attacked by you XD

Benton188 thank you so much for making the trip out to us and for renting a van to bring your amazing large displays and vehicles. The ghost was certainly a major highlight of the booth. Everyone from the average passer-by to the halo voice actors were so impressed by your hard work! Your works really stands out as being exceptional. Thank you for doing so much for the booth, and I hope you are beginning to feel much better.

Rosebud it was wonderful to see you again as well! You've done a great job on your mini-warthog. Thanks for bringing your hard work to the convention for us all to enjoy and drive around. It's always good to see you again.

Parzival FuriousFido thank you for coming! I'm glad we got to get some photos together all dresses up in our suit-suits. I had a great time with you guys and your lovely gfs/wives. Good to see you again!

antrodite thank you for you generous gift of flowers! And thank you for making sure we got some photos together all dressed up! That mini photoshoot we did on Friday night was so much fun! I must say, you look quite dapper in your Washington-themed suit. I'm so happy I got to see you again. Thank you for coming.

KaeSpoon Jocko03 I'm so thankful that I have the privilege of knowing you guys! I know you both have make quite the journey to come to Midwest events and I am so happy you do! Seeing my friends from way down south is such a privilege. Doing Mini-Mayhem with you was the highlight of my weekend for sure. You guys are so pleasant to be around. Thank you for coming!

Wayward Flood SpartanSweed I know you play a big part in organizing these booths. Thank you for bringing resources and your outstanding costumes to be a part of this booth! You do so much for us, Thank you.

marinesniper Thank you for your extra special engraved coin with myself and JT on it. It is an extra special gift. You're so very thoughtful and I am glad I got to see you again this past weekend. You're so much fun to chat with. Thank you for bringing your cheerful attitude that you're so well known for.

Wendi82 You're a legend for making the grand journey all the way from Scotland. I always love seeing you!

SoleofDeath Thank you for all the work you do for this community. You do such a great job helping set up and tear down, bring resources for the booth, and being a friend to everyone. Good to see you again.

OFiveTwo It was truly wonderful to be with you again. You are a legend for just how much work you put into the Extra-Life stream. Seriously, pretty much every time I looked over to see what was going on, there you were being the star of the show. You did such a great job being engaging, funny, and leading out viewers through each segment of the stream. You were a great Mini-Mayhem host as well. I'm so thankful I got to see you again, be your roomie, and hang out with you. Kudos to you for a job well done.

CozmiqVixen Unfit Armory Negativecacti ZeldaCat HoundsOfMeath Spartan4204 TwoOneSix tahu505 WylieCoyote074 CherriDragon Skidmorpheus It was so wonderful to see all of you again! You are all such wonderful people and I have a blast when I get to be with you. Keep up all the wonderful work you do on your costumes and the work you do for this community. Thank you for coming!

SeaSickle nerdman234 SpicyMcTuna Spartan Of Vale @Real Life Spartan Satan Farted Bloxxer axolotl It was so wonderful meeting you! (I apologize if I've technically met you in the past and am mistaken, in which case it was nice to see you again!) It was so nice to see you suits, props, and learn about who you guys are! You all have such unique costumes and experience and I am so happy I could learn about it all. I hope to see you all at another convention in the future.

And now for a few extra-special and extra-personal mentions.

Schankerz NewBrody This convention was made extra special because I was accompanied by my Canadian Regiment friends. When I first joined the 405th, it was YOU guys that introduced me to conventions and the local 405th members in Toronto. Since then I've been quite active in both the Canadian Regiment and the Midwest Regiment. It was so special that I was able to bring you guys along with me to this convention this past weekend to meet all of my Midwest friends. Without you especially Schankerz, I do not think I would have ever understood how awesome the 405th community is and participated in conventions like this. You see all these names I've mentioned above? You were the gateway to meeting all of them. I'm so glad you both could come with me and meet them in person. On top of that, you guys are just lovely to be around! You're so friendly, cheerful, and well... just my kind of people. Not to mention your suits are EPIC. It was a great experience. I can't wait to do it again with you soon.

Last but certainly not least, JTF4, you mad lad. You sir have gone above and beyond in every way imaginable to make this TORG booth and charity streaming event the absolute best is can be. You really took it up to 11 with the stage, sound system, cameras, projectors, and especially your tech and know-how. It's so clear that you have a deep love and passion for this community and its members, as well as the causes it supports. You put in so many sleepless nights, hard labour, and soooo much care into everything you did for us. I am so so thankful for all of your hard work, for how much you care, and most of all that I have the honour and privilege of calling you my friend. I am so proud of you.

For those I forgot to mention specifically, please do not be offended! Remember, this is the guy who forgot his GRAVITY HAMMER at C2E2 in April... my memory isn't always the best. I had a great time with EVERYONE I interacted with. You are all amazing.

And now to everyone: Thank you for making this past weekend so wonderful! YOU are the reason the 405th is so amazing. YOU are why people get so excited about halo cosplay. YOU are an inspiration to so many people. I am so proud of you all for successful convention and stream! I love you guys. I can't wait until I get to see you all again! <3

-N8

Wow, you covered it all. Thank you to everyone who did their part this weekend. I owe you all so much, and you have my thanks.

We love you N8, it was so great to see you again.