Ioka Village, 65,000,000 BC
Welcome back to Ioka! Yes, after the battle with Magus the party is knocked back to 65,000,000 BC, and the Fiendlord is nowhere to be found. After being greeted by Ayla and watching some cut scenes you’ll learn that the woods in the north are burning. Best follow the chieftain to see what's up. (You can also remove Frog from your party now, if you like.)
Head north a short way from Ioka Village to find the remains of Laruba Village. Check the north end of the village to watch another cut scene. Ayla will run off again, and you’ll have to follow her to the Dactyl Nest, a short, outdoor dungeon to the north of Ioka Village.
(Eventually the people of Laruba will move out of their village and into Ioka. Once they do - this will be a fair while, mind - you can revisit the ruins of Laruba Village and find a single Nu living in the north of the ruins. He’ll allow you to rename your party members, if you decide you want a change.)
Before you head to the Dactyl Nest, check out Ioka’s trading house. It has a new assortment of equipment for you to collect, summarized below:
- Petal and Fang - Dreamstone Gun
- Petal and Horn - Dreamstone Bow
- Petal and Feather - Magma Hand
- Fang and Horn - Primeval Blade
- Fang and Feather - Ruby Vest
- Horn and Feather - Stone Helm
If you don't have enough materials to get them all - a distinct possibility - you should pay a visit to the Hunting Grounds, a short walk east of the Dactyl Nest. The Nu that lives here shouldn't stand a chance against your party by this point in the game, and it yields all the materials you'll need to get the items from the trading house.
Dactyl Nest - Enemies
It's entirely possible that you've visited the Dactyl Nest in the past. If you came here during your first visit to 65,000,000 BC, your party probably wasn't quite ready to deal with the enemies. After the trip through the Fiendlord's Keep, however, you should be more than prepared. (And if you aren't, well, you can duck past a lot of these encounters... but not all of them.)
As soon as you enter the Dactyl Nest you’ll find a Cave Ape and two Schists waiting. The Cave Ape seems like the major threat, but the Schists can be very annoying if you hit one and cause it to sprout a tiny volcano on its back. Take each enemy on one-at-a-time, starting with the Cave Ape. Magic doesn’t do so well in this area, so stick to physical attacks and Techs.
Straight ahead is a ladder guarded by two Avian Rexes. No big deal if you use normal attacks. Climb the ladder once they’re gone to find a box containing a Mid-Ether. South of here you'll find three Schists, and you can easily avoid them if you wish. Check the box down and to the right of the Schists to find a Mid-Potion, then wander north.
There are two Cave Apes and a Schist waiting on the next screen. You don’t have a choice but to fight and take 'em out. Head north, up the cliff, and then twist back south to find two more Schists waiting. They’ll be joined by a Cave Ape if attacked. Check the box by the ladder on the right for Mesozoic Mail.
Two more Avian Rexes block the remainder of the path up to the peak of the Dactyl Nest. Ayla is waiting at the top, and she'll use her prehistoric charms to tame two dactyls. She'll also join the party as a mandatory member for the next dungeon, and past this point she's here to stay.
You now have your first manual means of transportation in a set of dactyls, and you can use them to explore 65,000,000 BC at your leisure. That said, there really isn’t a whole lot else to see in this time period besides your destination: The deadly Tyranno Lair, to the southeast of the Dactyl Nest. Head back to Ioka if you need refreshing, then fly to meet the Reptites on their home turf.