Dragon Warrior III/The Sword of Gaia

You've solved the mystery of Samanao's king, and as a reward, you've claimed the Staff of Change. But what can you do with it, and what is it good for? It turns out that a hermit who lives far to the north has been looking for the staff, and has an equally unusual item to give you in exchange. This unusual item will help you track down a Phantom Ship. Once you locate it, you'll have to plunder the ship to find another item that serves as a key to a location in the world haunted by separated love. Reunite the love and you'll be granted access to a shrine that contains an item vital to your quest. While you may continue your search for the sixth orb, you won't be able to find it until these steps are complete.

The Staff's power
When used, the Staff of Change will temporarily alter the appearance of your entire party. It will be altered to any number of conceivable forms, and the form taken is chosen entirely at random. You may all become a little boy, an old gentlemen, a guard, a prisoner, a woman, a demon, and possible even a slime. The effects don't last long, and wear off after taking only a handful of steps. While this can be amusing, it may not appear to have any practical purpose. However, there is one situation where you can use it to your advantage.

You may recall that in the Village of Elves, there was a saleswoman who would not have anything to do with humans. If you have any desire to purchase the two rather rare goods that she sells from her shop, the Angel Robe and the Wizard's Ring, you'll need the Staff of Change's help. The idea is to continue using it until you no appear longer human. Unfortunately, demons and slimes won't count, but taking on the appearance of an elf or even a dwarf works just fine. Approach the counter as a dwarf or an elf, and you will find that the woman behind the counter has no trouble conducting business with you. The Angel Robe is excellent defense for spell-casters, and it provides protection against instant-kill spells. It's not as strong as the Magic Armor for Sages, but the Silver Shield and Iron Helmet can more than make up for the difference.

This is by far the easiest way to conduct business in the Village of the Elves, but it is not the only way. Once you give up possession of the staff, there is only one other way to fool the elves, and it is a bit more difficult. There is one Animal Suit found in a treasure chest in the game (in the Cave of Samanao). However, if you're lucky, you can obtain more by defeating Vampire Cats and Catulas. If you equip all four members of your party with this otherwise poor form of defense, you can successfully purchase from the elf shop.

Trading in Greenlad
Changing your shape is not all the staff is good for. Someone in the world is looking for it, and will reward you if you give it to him. You may have heard rumors during your travels about a man who lives in a place called Greenlad. The name of this location is comparable to Greenland in the real world, which is located off the coast of North America. Similarly, if you sail north above the continent that Soo is found in, you will reach a mostly icy island with a grassy south coast. In one tiny section of ice, there is a small green square. This is where the hermit of Greenlad lives.

Sail up to the island and dock your boat south of the green tile. Walk up to it, and you will arrive in what appears to be an empty field. Continue walking north until a house comes into view. If you don't yet have the Staff of Change, the man will inform you that he's looking for it. If you do have the staff, he will tell you that if you give it to him, he'll exchange it for the Sailor's Thigh Bone and ask if you'll trade. Assuming you are finished using the staff for your own personal purposes, make the exchange. Now whenever you leave and return to the hermit, he will look different each time.

So what do you do with this Sailor's Thigh Bone? It is used to find the location of the Phantom Ship. The bone is in tune with the location of the rest of it's body. When used, it will point you in the direction of the ship by indicating how many spaces north or south and how many spaces east or west you can find the ship from your current position.