Okay, plan here?
I'll take Adrian and Tepen and head out to the Deep Ethereal following Velasca's instructions after the usual Aurora buffs.
Velasca takes the gold coins and does things - strange things, odd words uttered as she moves the coins around, deftly manipulating them. They begin to stretch like clay, molding themselves together and into the shape of a ten pointed star. It's a tiny, handheld thing, "Hold this when plane shifting yourselves to the Deep Ethereal. No gates, nothing fancier, a plane shift. It'll pull you in the right direction, then place it on the box there to open it and retrieve the sigil."
For reference. Who is doing the plane shift? I presume you but I'd like to be clear due to resource issues.
I have the spell and I'll be doing this.
The Deep Ethereal is foggy and cold, the ten pointed star glittering with a faint light as you feel tugged down and ahead.
"This way," Jaela voices, following the tug. She keeps her speed to what Adrian and Tepen are comfortable with.
Adrian takes the rear, putting Tepen in the middle. You follow the tug and...
Listen.
Taking 10 and Divine Insight for 41.
> roll 1d20+38 Adrian
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 43 > [d20=5]
> roll 1d20+37 Tepen
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 55 > [d20=18]
As you advance along, Tepen sends to both of you, 'I heard breathing behind us. Not Adrian's.'
Jaela takes a look with her blindsight!
60ft!
Spot. Yes, I know, blindsight, but darkstalker or the like is in play.
Taking 10 for 39.
You don't sense anything in range.
'Direct me if you see anything, and be ready to dodge,' Jaela thinks to Tepen and Adrian, having no option but to continue.
You see it ahead soon - a plain wooden box, floating in the Deep Ethereal. There's nothing special about it on a glance, yet the star you hold tugs you towards it.
Jaela makes her way to the box!
Adrian stays back, watching, while Tepen studies it. "Interesting," he murmurs.
Tepen takes 10 on Spellcraft.
Spellcraft 65 for me, please.
'Keep an eye out,' she asks the other two, preparing to retrieve their prize.
The box is magically attuned to one particular key. Unless you have that , it would take overwhelming force to open the box. It's not impossible - you think your own dispels could do it - but odds are if someone somehow found this rapidly, opening it would be impossible.
Taking a page from Afina's book Jaela stops time with a tap of her heels, places the key upon the box and intends to retrieve the contents before time would be allowed to flow once more. Then, she'd just plane shift the three of them back to the Aurora's gates.
2 rounds of Time Stop via boots.
The box opens and within sits a sigil ring, undefended otherwise, yours to take if you wish.
Jaela takes it with the full knowledge that Afina will avenge her if this is a trap. Putting it away and returning to normal time, she places her hands on Adrian and Tepen's shoulders and shifts the three of them back while mentally informing them, 'Got it, we're returning.'
And like that you're back, safe and sound.
Go ahead and reply while I loot update.
"Guess whatever you heard decided to stay away," Jaela tells Tepen, now taking a moment to observe the sigil.
Basically checking if it's like the others we have and doesn't have any extra spells on it.
On a glance yes, it looks in the same general patterns.
"Glad we had an uneventful trip," Jaela says cheerfully, heading to the vaults to store the sigil away before checking on Velasca again.
"Another one down," Adrian says once it's done and stored away, "One step closer to victory."
Moving you to Afina's topic.