Dragon Warrior III/The Pyramid

Reclaiming the king's crown and waking up the cursed peoples of Noaniels should have prepared you well for the dangers that lie beyond the bridge east of Romaly. Your next quest will take you first to the town of Assaram (taken from the Arabic greeting As-Salamu Alaykum) nestled west of a mountain range. You will find an interesting bazaar there along with rumors of a kingdom in the desert. From your stay there, you will in fact journey into the desert to find an oasis containing a kingdom known as Isis (named after the Egyptian goddess). A beautiful queen occupies the throne, and an unusual pyramid to the north will beckon you to explore it's mysteries.

Assaram
Assaram is an interesting town with a large number of shops, some of which are only open during the day while others only do business at night. In fact, many of the town's more unique features are only available at night. Visiting the town during the day, you can visit an item shop and an armor shop located in the upper right corner, which sell an assortment of protective gear, including the ridiculously expensive (and worthless) Revealing Swimsuit which should be avoided even if you could afford it, which at this point in the game is unlikely. At night, a man opens a weapons shop in the small building above the pond. The Battle Axe may be a good choice for your Hero if you can afford one.

Two men on the left side of town operate their shops a little differently than usual. They like to barter with you. What's worse, their initial asking price is sixteen times an item's normal value. If you refuse their offer, they will reduce the price to eight times the item's value, and then four times, and finally two times before they will refuse to sell it to you. With the exception of one item, all of the other items can be purchased at other locations for the regular price. The only exception is the Iron Helmet, which can't be purchased anywhere else in the game. You should talk the trader in the upper left corner down to 2000 gold before agreeing to buy the helmet.

Besides shopping, Assaram features a cabaret show in the lower left corner. You can see the girls rehearsing during the day, and performing at night. There is also a "fortune teller" hanging out near the center of town. If you speak with her, she will invite you to follow her and have your fortune told. She will insist that the Hero comes alone, and that she turn off the lights. The confusing dialog that follows indicates that the fortune teller's father ruins the trick before running off through the dark wall to the left. (In other versions of the game, the woman is not a fortune teller, but rather a woman inviting you upstairs for a massage, or possibly a lewd act. The lights are turned off, and when they are turned back on, it is the man, and not the woman, who is actually providing the services, much to your embarrassment.)

There are two doors that you will be unable to open at this time. You'll have to obtain the Magic Key first. Around town, you'll hear about Isis, and the possibility of a shrine in the southern portion of the desert. When you're ready, leave Assaram and prepare to venture west.

Heading west
After crossing what can be considered this world's equivalent to the Arabian peninsula, you will reach a vast desert. A man in Assaram mentioned the possibility of finding a shrine to the south of the desert. In the desert, it's quite common to encounter fire-breathing Flamepedes and StopSpell casting Vampire Cats. Of particular nuisance, however, are the green Infernus Crabs. As if their thick shell wasn't defense enough, they typically cast the spell of Increase, making their hides near-impenetrable. If these crabs cast Increase twice, let alone once, magic will be your only option for taking them out, and they are quite effective at dodging spells as well. Mummy Men tend to roam the desert a lot at night as well.

Follow the hills and the mountains south until you find a small region of poison swamp surrounding the shrine. Step inside and a man will ask you if you're looking for the Magic Key. If you say yes, he will tell you that it's located in a pyramid, but that you should visit the kingdom of Isis in the oasis first. To reach the oasis, simply walk west through the desert from the shrine. You will reach a patch of forest surrounding a small lake. Walk up to the tree and the view will expand, and a palace will come into view. Step up to it to enter the kingdom of Isis.

An oasis kingdom


Isis is actually a rather large town, with a moat-surrounded palace in the center. People there will inform you about how precious water is to them. One inhabitant will talk about an item called the Meteorite Armband, which will supposedly make its wearer faster. There is a monster fighting gambling hall in the upper left corner of town, just like the one in Romaly. The weapon shop contains quite a number of powerful items, including the Giant Shears which only a Soldier may wield, and the Full Plate Armor as well as the Cloak of Evasion in case you missed it in Noaniels. At night, Isis is far more subdued than Assaram. The weapon shop owner will inform you that the Meteorite Armband can be found in the castle. To reach the castle, you must approach from the right side, and cross the bridge.

Isis Castle
Inside the palace, you must walk across a long sandy courtyard. Once you get through the gate, you are essentially greeted by cats. Guards stand post behind locked doors, protecting the kingdom's treasures. The maids and attendants on the first floor will give you some general information about the pyramid, such as traps and sections where spells won't work. Climb the stairs to meet the queen. She will be accompanied by her ladies-in-waiting. They speak highly of her beauty. In a small chamber to the left, two children dance around to a song that they sing. They talk about buttons in the pyramid which they compare to the sun, which travels across the sky from east to west. The queen herself has nothing particular to say other than lamenting that her beauty will one day fade, before she tells you how many experience points you need, and offers to save your game. There is a small hole in the left wall of the throne room. Not only can you use this hole to leave the palace, walking through it will deposit you all the way outside of the oasis.

At night, a cat can be seen wandering around in the sandy courtyard. In fact, he's found rather close to a break in the line of trees on the left side. You can use this break to explore the outer edge of the castle. A gap in the left wall allows you to step outside the castle, but do not walk beyond one square's distance or you will exit the castle and return to town. Follow the edge of the castle up, and you will find a man who is desperately searching for the Meteorite Armband as well. Inside the palace, more cats roam around while the guards sleep. In the throne room, the queen has retired to her chambers, but you won't be able to access them until you find the Magic Key.

For now, that leaves the question of the Meteorite Armband's location. It's not hard to find, but you have to know where to look. Expand the spoiler below to find out where.