I've managed to get through the thread, but generally, how long do you intend to take to complete the entire map?

Nobody knows yet :) But you can board the boat no later than the 7th day. That's going to be quite a measurement test :) Where and how far to sail :)

To Zveroboy: Well, what now - we're stuck on the mages :) I can't get past them even with vamps. Maybe there's something about sorrow that I don't grasp; can you use load/save to force the mages to skip turns because of sorrow? I'll try a bit more and then I'll have to restart from the satyrs too. Then I'll have to build an arsenal and buy ZB. I probably won't level up on the tree then. Because money will be needed FURTHER for boats, and eventually you need to buy a second hero :)

PS. Spent a long time trying reconnaissance by fire on the mages - pulled Sandro, two vamps, and 30 imps over there. The mages are easily defeated :) Without sorrow, without an arsenal or bottles, without spending magic :) Zveroboy, it's your turn to guess how to do it. But you can't do it without vamps :)