Time is of the Essence, Talis Teaser.

Tall and high the sun stood, its strong rays spreading over the great prosperous continent of Crestoria as the people rejoiced and celebrated the New Moon Festrim, the month that signified the new year. As the celebrations and festivities raged on, an old man with a grey beard reaching far down from his chin would sit in a chair, looking at the large stage in front of him as many other individuals came to see the New Year’s Play done by none other than the continent’s partially educated youth and children at the southern edge of the great Mount Crestia. This old man who took a seat was Talis Astellis, a very old and retired individual native to the Southwestern state of Trimerian who enjoys to spend his time educating the youth in the rich history of Crestoria and the legends it has spawned.
Up on center stage, many different children from different regions of Crestoria would gather and bow to the audience before beginning to act their part, some had masks that resembled golden heroic faces, while others wore outfits made of feathers with masks that resembled gryphons. As the children began to act, a mechanism would cause a big diorama of a great grey, blue, and white mountain to spring up in the center of the stage.
“It has been many a long hour, yet we, the great time warriors have heard your plea.” The child on stage carrying a toy sword would then run up to the boy acting as the gryphon, and pretend to unsheathe his sword as the other actors pretended to watch in awe.
“We, the great time warriors, shall pure this land of the gryphons, and give humanity peace once more so we can live and prosper!” The child swordsman would yell out in a heroic tone.
“No… we destroy all humanity… no lives be lived we will feast upon all.” The gryphon actor would protest in a clearly fake and evil voice.
“The time of justice is upon this land, we shall be freed and allowed to live without fear!” The child swordsman would then poke the gryphon actor, causing him to fall over and let out a fake yell before playing dead.
“Now that the gryphons have been banished from this land, we shall cultivate it and bring civilization!” Suddenly, more dioramas sprung up around the mountain in center stage, each of the little dioramas seemed to resemble a tall standing clock tower, and a total of six appeared around the mountain. Afterwards, the child swordsman would bow down to the audience.
“And now that civilization has spread and taken root, I shall bid farewell and allow my spirit to rest within the land we have built, inside one of the clock towers I shall rest.” The kid would then make his leave and walk off stage, with the rest of the actors each bowing to the audience, even including the gryphon. A short moment later, the audience would begin to disband as well, each making their way to the train station just a little ways back south, leaving Talis to be the last one sitting within the long rows of seats as he closed his eyes with a smile and began to relax.
“It brings such a smile to my face to see the youth learning and knowing their history… oh great land of Crestoria, continue to prosper and grow.”
Talis would then open his eyes back up to see the stage, mountain, and clock towers crumbling like glass before him, with a tall golden spirit resembling a clock standing over it all, drenching the world around in a darkness that obscured the dreary landscape.
“You there, will you give your life to serve this prosperous land of which you’ve lived for so long?” The great spirit would ask in a formal, unmoving voice that echoed across the darkened land.
“I shall… but the legends… the history... they are true… are they not?” Talis would ask with a serious voice… There was no answer...