"The key to show us what we refuse to face is also my home, my prison. There is only one truth for a given context, and it is often the last thing we want to admit to ourselves." -Natsumi
 

Shinjitsu no Kagi – "Truth's Key" in common tongue – is a strange realm where the laws of physics are turned upside down. The periphery is a swirling vortex of rooms that should be, by all accounts, stationary. Despite constant movement, occupants of any place in the realm will feel like they are standing still. Only the center tower is truly stationary, however, and each room outside of that constant monolith is subject to change based on their occupants.  Merely by venturing within, your concepts of distance and reality will be challenged: provided, of course, you take the normal entrance.
 

"Simplicity is great, if it doesn't screw you over." –Natsumi
 
Common:
There is no set entrance to the realm of Truth's Key, but there are common methods that are easy enough to find given sufficient resolve. The recurring theme among these methods is, of course, tied to the symbols of the Goddess's realm(see Rules and Additional Notes topic).
 
Any locked container or door can have a portal to Shinjitsu no Kagi, even those that normally lead to a predetermined area of space. Merely having the earnest wish to enter the temple is sufficient to switch destinations, so a worshipper could easily visit simply by opening the front door of their own home.
 
The procedure is similar for mirrors. Any reflective surface, including water, can be used as an entry point into the temple. Staring at your own reflection and calling on secrets will send a tingle down your spine as you are transported to the opposite side of the reflection. From within, you will be able to look out at your former location, and realize the truth that all mirrors are one way windows for the Goddess of Keys and Secrets.
 
Unfortunately, as is often the case, the easiest way is not necessarily the best way. While mirrors and locks provide for immediate access to the realm, they also, without fail, dump their users in Arashi: the vortex that surrounds the tower, Himitsu no Koa. Within the bounds of Arashi, visitors are forced to endure some form of trial before they can advance. The nature of said trial will depend on what area of the wheel you land in, and that is a purely a matter of chance.
 
Special:
There are exceptions to the common entry procedures. Other deities, for example, possess direct access to Himitsu no Koa via monogrammed gates in a specialized guest room connected to the Aisatsu(a nexus greeting room). Similarly, anyone the Goddess gives special permissions to will be able to pass beyond the veil without fear of trial. Finally, adventurers who use other entry methods not listed will likely be rewarded with free passage based on their creativity. As for what these methods might entail, that is up to the user to decide. Sometimes even just a little bit of imagination combined with the symbols of the realm will be sufficient to enter Shinjitsu no Kagi without being waylaid.
 

"Many use the analogy of a needle in a haystack to describe what it is like to find secrets. The truth is more complex, however. Finding secrets is like try to find a needle in a haystack while that haystack is stuck in a tornado." -Natsumi
 
Arashi(Tempest) is the peripheral area of Shinjitsu no Kagi. It is divided into two primary sections, each with their own theme. When those who are due for a trial arrive in either section, the rules of their engagement will differ. Therefore, both Kūsō and Kage will be discussed separately.
 
Kūsō:
"Secrets are not always fantastical. Sometimes they are simply the memories we hold dear; that unrequited love we can't forget or that person we wish we could hear the voice of one last time." -Natsumi
 
Kūsō (Reverie) is the domain of simple secrets. Everyone wears some form of mask in public, and everyone has some memory they wish to keep close to the vest. Such are the contents of Kūsō. Those who enter will find themselves in a solitary room constructed of materials relevant to their past, and they will be forced to come face to face with something related to the simple secrets that they have kept. Perhaps they will see the person they miss the most, and their trial will simply be to move on from the meeting without hanging on to the things they have lost. Or perhaps they will engage in a conversation with their darker self, and their trial will be a confidence test.
 
Either way, the mechanism of trial in Kūsō is relatively the same. Visitors will have their emotions toyed with, and only those strong enough to move on from their past will find the Goddess. Thankfully, though, it is not possible to waste away in a situation of indecision as might be brought on by a setting of this nature. If someone is deemed too weak to proceed and they are in danger of dying from malnutrition or dehydration, that person will be transported out with sustenance nearby. Such is the decree of the Goddess that no one should die simply for wishing to visit her.
 
Kage:
"Remember, curiosity killed the cat; and, if my estimation of your curiosity is anywhere close to accurate, you should have been dead yesterday." -Natsumi
 
Otherwise known as the Labyrinth of Horrors, the Kage(Shadow) region of Arashi is both a container and waypoint hub for all things that go bump in the night. It manifests as a vast labyrinth of changing walls for anyone that enters, one whose complexity is directly proportional to the amount of unchecked curiosity an occupant possesses. All sides of every corridor contained within the maze are lined with innumerable doors, the contents of which are labeled by equally numerous, nearby, stone plaques.
 
These doors look unassuming at first glance, but visitors should not be fooled. Each room contains some form of unspeakable horror, or a gateway into a hellish landscape; either of which are often more than capable of maiming or killing entrants. They are locked so as to ensure containment protocols are sufficiently strenuous, but the locks are susceptible to picking attempts from the outside and require maintenance from time to time. A determined enough thief can enter one, and, usually, not come out alive. Likewise, a stubborn enough prisoner can eventually escape, and cause havoc throughout the temple or, even, the mortal world.
 
Yet most of these dangers are avoidable. At the entrance to Kage, visitors will be warned of the dangers behind the gates. An ornate, marble sign sits directly in the path of all arrivals, with the following warning in bold print:
 
"Sometimes, secrets remain such for good reason. Always remember that curiosity can be a lethal thing if left unchecked."
 
Only by admitting that one has seen enough will one be able to move beyond Kage. Those who fail to heed the dangers of curiosity, on the other hand, will be left to wander until they are ejected through the same procedures as are in place for Kūsō. Until such a time, however, the prisoners of the labyrinth will be haunted by frightful illusions as they pass through the dimly lit corridors.
 

"Now here you stand in the nexus, the core of my domain. This is the key that unlocks the doors of the universe, and also the place where you can find some of the best, damn tea in all of Revaliir." -Natsumi
 
After completing the trials in either Kage or Kūsō, a door will open on the far end of the room that visitors are currently in(in the case of Kūsō) or in a wall that suddenly appears in front of them in the hallway they currently inhabit(in the case of Kage). This door will adopt an appearance according to the expectations of the observer, and will lead directly to the ground floor of the tower known as Himitsu no Koa(Core of Secrets).
 
Aisatsu:
The Aisatsu(Greeting) is the first location normal temple goers will find that is completely constant. It is a large, luxurious greeting room that is always at a nice temperature. A fireplace sits on its far end, while rich, mahogany wood composes the floor boards. Large, lavish chairs are positioned throughout the room, along with an ornate, glass, bronze, long table in the middle of everything. Off to the side is a lone rocking chair that rejects anyone but the Goddess: an off-beat throne of wood and fur, as it were.
 
This is the place where audiences are held, where meals are served, and where tea is savored. All other locations in Shinjitsu no Kagi lead to Aisatsu, making it a nexus for the entire domain. It is also, usually, the primary room most people come to see before they leave.
 
Additional Rooms:
Beyond the greeting room, there are many different chambers inside the Himitsu no Koa. They can all be reached via a spiral staircase in a corner of any room not part of the Arashi. When utilized with proper intent, these staircases will take their users to the desired floor without the need to count flights. There is also a registry of potential rooms next to the base of each staircase, listing off destinations such as The Fourth Wall Room or The Tournament Room; all so that visitors don't have to memorize the ever changing list. (Check out my profile to see more rooms)
 

"Leaving so soon? Here I was making you some Earl Gray. Oh well. More for me." –Natsumi
 

Exiting Shinjitsu no Kagi is far easier than entering, so long as you obey the rules. A simple gate travel or sacred journey will do the trick, or you could just use the front door of Himitsu no Koa to go back to where you first entered the realm. Failing either of those options, if a person is stuck in Kage or Kūsō, they can recant on their wish to enter the temple and they will be transported back to where they first entered the realm, unharmed and intact (mostly). Regardless, exiting is barely even comparable to entry.