I'm not sure if this is something that is always out there, or if, perhaps, it is linked to the current menace surrounding the Yew area, but....
Tonight as Michael Atticus and I were out hunting shadowpacks, we came across a dead Yew tree, with several dead trees surrounding it. The location of said tree is at 1040, 534 on your UOAutoMap. Now, there were an unusually high concentration of shadowpacks in the immediate area of this tree, and I have never before seen packs so close together as they continuously appeared in this area. Pack after pack kept spawning, and pack after pack lay dead at our feet while we pondered the meaning behind this dead Yew tree. Now, from an RP standpoint (I've learned I must clarify my intentions whenever entering an rp point of view) it would appear that this dead tree, and the surrounding area must have something to do with the numerous shadowpacks in the vacinity. Furthermore, one should note that Yew trees are the most hardy of all trees, and not easily killed, unless by some other-worldly means, or dark magicks... Could this be the "source" of the scourge now poisoning Yew? Or is it, perhaps, simply a phenomenon which has always existed at that location? If anyone would be able to confirm the latter, it would set my mind at ease, as this discovery, at least for me, has been quite troubling. If, however, this is not something normally found at this location, we might seek further guidance as to the cause of the defoliation of this great tree, and perhaps find more clues as to the source of the invasion.
Celeste