To learn the art of field work, Pax and her friends head to the jungles of Danir where the local fauna presents dangerous challenges to scientists reviving the defunct magesteel trade. But mysterious deaths, conflicts with the Phoenix Corporation agents, and environmental spasms that mirror an ancient apocalypse put the entire class in danger. Pax and her friends must navigate local political intrigue and solve ecological mysteries if they want to survive their third year at Animalians.