Mist Cave & Kaipo
Mist Cave cuts through the mountains northwest of Baron. It’s short and linear with 4 chests, 2 new bestiary entries, and the game’s first real boss. The cave itself won’t take long, but the Mist Village cutscene afterward sets up the rest of the early game.
Mist Cave
Two enemy types spawn here: Insectus (28 HP) and Flying Eyes (40 HP). Neither is dangerous; Cecil one-shots Insectus, and Flying Eyes go down in two hits or a Kain Jump. Register both before the boss.
From the entrance, walk east and up the stairs. Grab the Potion at the top. Continue along the bridge and take the first stairs you see to find Eye Drops.
Loop back down and push all the way south through two sets of stairs. The Tent sits on the left side. Climb back up one set of stairs and cut east for the last Potion. All 4 chests collected. Heal and quick save before the final stairs to the north. The mist wall blocking the path is the boss.
How to Beat Mist Dragon
Exit the cave to the north after the fight. The path leads east to the village of Mist.
Mist Village
Walk east into the village to trigger a cutscene. The Bomb Ring activates on its own, then a forced battle against a girl plays out. The fight is unwinnable, so attack or defend until it ends.
When you regain control, you’ll be on the overworld east of Mist Village with the path back to Baron completely blocked. Go north and when you get to the desert, walk northeast towards the oasis in the middle of the desert. Save your game at the oasis, then head inside Kaipo.
Kaipo
Shops
New Enemies
Entering town triggers a cutscene and a free rest at the inn. During the night, Baron soldiers break in to capture the girl. Cecil refuses to hand her over.
How to Beat General
After the battle, Rydia joins the party at Lv1 with a Rod and a single robe slot filled. Buy her a Staff (160 Gil), Leather Cap, Leather Garb, and Iron Armlet from the local shops (400 Gil total). Leather Garb has better stats than the cheaper Clothes.
North of the weapon shop, check the pot at the far end for an Ether.
Visit the Northeast House
Approach the bed inside the northeast house to trigger a required story scene. Don’t skip it. Without this trigger, you can’t progress past a certain point in the Underground Waterway.
Kaipo Desert
New Enemies
Exit town and spend time in the desert levelling Rydia while you hunt the three new enemy types. She picks up a new Black or White spell almost every level in this range; see the magic page for her full learn schedule. Hundlegs is the rarest of the three but shows up often enough with patience; register all three before moving on. Rest at the inn between fights if you need to.
Once Rydia’s levelled and all three enemies are in the bestiary, head north to the Underground Waterway for the next chapter.