It's not designed to be that difficult, so I'm sorry you guys are having some trouble. I'll give you (what I think is) a big clue: I think you all are thinking this is intended as a trap or some mechanism designed to keep something away from you. And it's neither of those. Of course, if your flawed characters think that, that's one thing.
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This is an arcane storage system, designed for everyday use. Hopefully you can figure it out. :)