My brother and I finally finished this this week. Hard work, but amazing fun. Only casualty was the Half Orc (Wulf). Lord Castanea commanded him in Q9 and he simply would not turn back. He Blocked the door to the portal room and we needed to get in to save the Dwarf so he was was eventually dispatched by his own Shamen before it disappeared to whence it had been summoned.
Q10 is brutal, but must just be suffered to finally kill Maleficient.
Story is great, quests, ideas and artifacts excellent.
We will play some lighter stuff before finishing the trilogy with Rogue Wizardry.