I can't say anything good about the snakes; I just didn't use them.:)
The other day, I took out the knights, cavalry, and inquisitors guarding the tent with cavalry in Greenroot; there were only 13 of them. It's a shame; there were so few.
I'm playing as a warrior, and I also had a lot of magic runes; I maxed out all the first-level magic skills. :) Only my stats are a little different: I have twice as much attack as defense.
My wife... as soon as the conversation turned to the tadpoles in the aquarium... :D I let them go.
I wanted to get Mirabella, but I have a traffic jam of three ships there, and a pirate won't show me the way to the Kraken (there are already four of them). I'll deal with the pirates and clear the path after I return from the dwarves. What won't you do for true love? :)