The entrance leads to a cliff overlooking the massive falls. No music here, just the sound of rushing water.

獣ケ原 appears to be patterned after various actual place names, such as 蟻ケ原 (literally Ant Plain), 牛ケ原 (literally Cattle Plain), and 亀ケ原 (literally Turtle Plain). The ケ may look like a katakana ke (and internally is one, at least in this version of the game), but is properly an unrelated character, pronounced ga here, that functions similarly to the の (no) particle. The location's full name is read けものがはら (kemono ga hara).

Shadow leaves without another word.

And don't forget to take off his Shinobi Garb and any other equipment you want before he leaves!

Mash and Cayenne dive into the falls, where they are attacked by many vicious fish, though all but the last one are laughably weak, having a mere 10 hit points.

Packs of Opinicus will keep reappearing when killed off until at least 60 seconds have passed. At that point, finish off whatever's left to face the somewhat more durable Rhizopus. Though usually not a difficult opponent, it has a chance of using El Niño if left alive long enough, so kill it as quickly as possible.

They reach the bottom alive, but unconscious, and wash up onto the shore. A boy soon finds them. 1-18 "Gau" plays. The boy has messy straw-colored hair and wears a combination of animal skins and leaves. He checks on Mash and Cayenne...

Mash and Cayenne finally get up, and they notice the boy there.

But the boy panics and runs away. Mash and Cayenne start out into the plain, heading east toward the village.

Gau occasionally appears at the end of battles here...

...but he just gets mad when they can't feed him.

The party first heads to Mobliz and buys supplies. "Kids Run Through the City" plays here, as is usual for peaceful towns.

Note that the party can rest free of charge by using the bed in the back room of the accessory shop.

There are a few things here that are of some importance later on, including two young lovers in the back of town...

...and a badly wounded man.

The party picks up the letter and reads it to him.

Feeling sympathetic, the party heads to the mail station in town, and sends a letter to Lola on behalf of the wounded soldier (for 500 gil).

Later, another letter arrives for the wounded soldier (talk to a merchant or sleep at the inn to make new letters appear).

The party sends the record (for 500 gil), and another letter arrives for the soldier.

The party sends Potions (for 500 gil), and another letter arrives for the soldier.

The party sends a letter (for 500 gil), and another letter arrives for the soldier.

The party sends the book (for 500 gil), but instead of another letter arriving, the soldier has something to say.

Part or all of this sidequest can be left until later, though it must be completed before the Major Plot Spoiler occurs. The party can eventually reach Maranda and speak to Lola in person, and she'll say different things depending on which letters (if any) she has received.

There's also some more immediately relevant information in town...

The port town's name is pronounced with an English long 'a' in the second syllable. Ni - kay - ah.