The party ventured into the eastern forest right beside Tower Haven. They encountered sick and corrupted animals (dire wolves, giant boars, and some blights) and eventually found a scout encampment from a couple of rookie NPCs that had been slaughtered by something big.

A large elk was slain, the old forest guardian, that was corrupted by a sickness that caused it to attack on sight. All monsters faced were killed, and the party were temporarily afflicted by the strange sickness. Florintine was able to cure them with the Remove Curse spell.

This all suggests that what has happened in the southern woods has overshadowing effects elsewhere.