The Tree of Life

[Ryastar]

Yeah, it's normal and I think there is a very real intention to it. In my first game after the first few enemies I fought under the tree were so easy, I was lulled into a sense of security, and i stopped checking to see the strength of the enemy before attacking. Imagine my surprise and chagrin when I found the one army that isn't a pushover with my last save several hours previously. I did win the battle with not too horrendous losses (iirc, this was back in september so I can't be sure) but it definitely gave me a shock. The purpose may be to do exactly what it did to me, namely to catch you off guard and also possibly to teach you to always check the enemy strength first even if all the other enemies around are pushovers.