Twilight of Darkness

Can someone explain the meaning of this map? I gained approval... and then what? To progress further, I need keys – they are located on the territory of those whose trust I have earned. When I cross their borders, they become hostile. What should I do? And what’s the point of earning their trust then? ******************* Also, after taking the Diplomacy perk (it was a minor perk before the Empathy upgrade), every other stack of creatures after level 20 tries to join me. As long as I have enough money, they will. This is excessive. The author needs to adjust this.