Just as I even thought to train First Aid at all, someone else already had reached the cap.

I know many of you have been chugging along for most of today, perhaps first attending a midnight launch event, then staying up odd hours and straining your eyes to keep them focused on the screen in front of you and the task at hand: Realm First achievements.

Yet so quickly after the race began, most of these achievements already have been snatched up by the quickest in the pack. All throughout today as I played at my own pace and to my heart’s content, I was surprised at the continual flash of “realm first” achievements flashing across the chat bar. On my server, the first realm first achievement I saw was Illustrious Miner — for leveling up the profession to 525 skill points. Followed by Illustrious Angler and Engineer.

I logged out for a short break, and came back for the start of the level 85 dings. First, it was a druid. 17 minutes later, a Pally and a Priest took their respective achievements only seconds apart. A few scant achievements may still remain, but the players aiming to get them certainly are already well on their way to earning some in-game respect.

So how do they do it? Well, one world-first European player — Athene, on his holy paladin Forscience — recorded a short video that glosses over all the work that went into his mere 5-hour journey to becoming the first character to reach level 85 — both his strategy and his motivations are discussed. As well as a promo for something else entirely. (warning — Some language may be NSFW)

Click through for the video and my take on the quickness with which these achievements are being … /ahem… achieved.

Did any of you Lore Hounds have any luck with your own race to the finish? Who was close but didn’t quite make it? Anyone still pushing along in hopes of getting a realm first?? Silly question — I suppose those of you who are probably are too busy playing to comment — in which case, share with us afterward!

What about your opinions on whether the time it took to reach these achievements? Perhaps the time is a bit short considering that the expansion will last us at least a year, probably two. But I also know that there’s still a lot of content left to be seen even after a marathon run to the realm-first finish line — from dungeons and raids (some which have yet to be released) to more old-world questing to a whole new hoard of achievements and reputations to chase — there’s so much to see and do.

I’m not worried.

And perhaps now that most of these races are concluding, we can continue on once again back at our own pace, and enjoy the arrival of Cataclysm.