Manoza
| Castle town | |
|---|---|
| Manoza | |
 Official artwork. | |
| Japanese | サマンオサ |
| Game | Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation |
| Old localization | Samanao |
Manoza is a castle town in the overworld of Dragon Quest III.
It corresponds to Peru's placement in South America in the real world, and is surrounded by impassable mountains and can only be breached via the Wayfarer's Chapel teleportal or by Ramia.
Appearances
Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation
The Hero's first arrival in Manoza is a grim one, with a funeral being held for a man named Breno. Speaking to the people gathered, the party learns that he was put to death for no more than just speaking ill of the King. The regent has said to have been very kind-hearted and considerate to his subjects in the recent past, but has all of a sudden become a tyrannical despot who rules with an iron fist. The villagers are distraught, with some families willing to risk the dangers of the wild just to escape living in fear of being put to death every waking moment. The world-famous swordsman Simão was banished by the king as well, sentenced to life in prison in the hellish Shrine of Shackles
Upon entering the castle, the party will see that the staff is walking on the same eggshells that the normal citizens are. Guards obey needlessly cruel orders, kitchen staff prepare disgusting meals of bat wings and lizard tails, and dancing girls are forced to perform for hours on end in the throne room even while the King slumbers upstairs. Upon speaking to the dictator, the King will declare that he doesn't like the look of the Hero and has the party thrown into the dungeon. Fortunately, the guards play dumb and allow the Hero to escape through the secret tunnel below the castle, and here the real king is found.
The true King explains that Manoza has been taken over by a Boss troll who is impersonating him via his stolen Mod Rod. The heroes must retrieve the Ra's Mirror from the Manoza Cave in the southeast and use it on the imposter while he sleeps in order to reveal his true identity.
The troll is stupid enough to sleep without guards posted, allowing the Hero to slip into the chamber easily.
Upon the deceiver's death, the country declares that the Hero is nothing short of the savior of the land and peace is restored.
Shops & services
Item Shop | Item | Price | Attributes |
 Medicinal herb | 8 | ? |
 Antidotal herb | 10 | ? |
 Holy water | 20 | ? |
 Chimaera wing | 25 | ? |
 Moonwort bulb | 30 | ? |
 Coagulant | 500/310 | ? |
Weapon & armour shop | Item | Price | Attributes |
 Staff of sentencing | 2,700 | +37 |
 Knuckledusters | 7,100 | +40 |
 Zombiesbane | 9,800 | +67 |
 Magic armour | 5,800 | +40 |
 Dragon shield | 3,500 | +32 |
 Black bandana | 1,200 | +18 |
 Iron mask | 3,500 | +25 |
Nearby monsters
- Crone ranger
- Heedoo voodoo
- Infernal armour
- Lethal armour
- Metal slime
- Smackanape
- Ursa major
- Walking corpse
Treasures
- Dieamend
- Mini medal (5)
- Mod Rod
- Seed of life
- Oaken club
- Seed of agility
- Seed of strength
- T'n'T ticket (2) (SFC and GBC only)
- Would I Lie to You?
Remake
Usage of Orochi's Lair in another area
- B1F of the Castle is used as 7F of the Cloudsgate Citadel.
Dragon Quest of the Stars
The Manoza scenario reappears in the Cell phone title, with the Boss troll serving as the boss fight.
Notable Resident
- Breno (Originally Barano and Brennan) - Executed for bad mouthing the king. The Hero and party first arrive to town as he is mourned, thus prompting them to investigate the ruler.
Trivia
- "Manoza" is an anagram of "Amazon", as in the Amazon rainforest.
- Manoza is the only only town other than the Immigrant Town to have different townspeople placement at a certain time during the events of the game. Upon the first visit, the Hero and party witness the ongoing funeral of Breno with his family and friends attending. This occurs only on the first visit and afterward all townspeople are located in their normal locations.
- Manoza's location on the map corresponds to Peru, a Spanish-speaking country. However, the English localized versions of the Switch and Mobile ports of the game translate the names of the characters in Manoza as Portuguese, likely due to confusion with Brazil.
Gallery
Original artwork.
Manoza town. (NES)
Manoza castle (NES)
Manoza as a whole. (Remakes)
Manoza. (Cell phone)
Castle. (Cell phone)
The party is greeted by a dejected man.
The false king confronts the party.
The real king beneath the castle.
Exposing the pretender to the throne.
