Clerics and Paladins in this world are "divinely blessed" i.e. have good stats and are on average of higher level than one would expect. I.e. a CR3, 6th level caster cleric is considered a newbie. A CR2 cleric of 4th-5th level caster is still training. Not everyone can be a cleric /paladin; you need to have been blessed by the gods. Non-spellcasting priests exist. Druids exist and are not clerics; I.e. druids that can cast 3rd or 4th level spells are rare. Clerics are honored and respected.
A Mercenary group, 25 mercenaries of varying strength that includes the PCs is hired by Not-bad Holy order to accompany and support an anchorite-type wandering cleric of modest power. Another cleric, woman cleric of a Lawgiver-type LE deity, meets them in the wilderness. They are clerics of the same polytheistic religion so while the clerics are bickering, they do acknowledge each other as full cleric.
Long story short, the young, divinely blessed NPCs that have rarely met anyone of the same religion but different "sect" ... fall in love. Opposites attract (and they are both of good looks thanks to them being blessed at birth) and all.
Now, finally, I get to the situation:
They need to use agate for components for a spell my wizard PC has (it makes an easy-to-hide bunker for them to hide). The Lawgiver cleric had found in the wilderness they explore 3-4 rich-girl dolls in silk dress and agate eyes and kept them for treasure. I already know from the player, that he will inform the clerics he needs agate. So, the Lawgiver-type cleric will take out the dolls, rip out their eyes without a moment's hesitation and then give the mage the agate. Then, she will throw the dolls to the trash saying that now they are worthless.
Anchorite-type Cleric, having high insight, figured out that this callousness was an act, that the dolls reminded her of the little girl she never got the chance to be, childhood regrets etc etc that she hides. So, that otherwise proper, respected, tactful warrior priest, will wake up at night, sneak to the trash like a petty thief, take the dolls and secretly sew eyes on them and leave them for the priestess to find.
The priestess figures out who did it, and she is deeply touched. However, she considers it a weakness of hers that she was touched by a gift of dolls as if she was a 5 years old "common" girl (remember she serves a LE unforgiving god). But she doesn't have the heart to do what she should do: destroy the gift.
She simply lets them there and these dolls cause her anxiety and bring forward to her mind things she doesn't want to consider (her love for a cleric that is not of her sect, that she may have wanted a different, more normal childhood, etc.)
For the Anchorite-type cleric, they represent his hope that the woman he (secretly) loves will find a piece of her humanity. So he is emotionally invested in that too.
And thus, the dolls remain there, untouched. None of the Mercs dares touch something that they are pretty sure the priestess of the LE entity considers important even if she says she doesn't. And her God is not exactly pleased for her 'weakness'.
So, these dolls will become a bane-like thing for her.
And here, I want ideas.
- What would the bane act like, mechanically (5e rules) or even thematically (narrative!)
- In case the PCs figure out that something is wrong (right?) with the dolls and throw them away they kinda take something important from two people but they do it for perhaps good reasons. <== [ Only the PCs will have the 'agency' to throw them away, or try to convince the priestess to throw them away or do whatever. ]
What then? Powers check for ... kinda bringing their non-evil cleric that serves an evil god back to balance by taking away something meaningful for her but that makes her weaker and tests her faith? (i.e. lower power's check)?
If they do that, would the LE god consider they interfered in "a test of faith" from his priestess and "act out" (i.e. bigger power's check)?
If they convince the Priestess to take the dolls, are they interfering with a cleric's tenets and kinda-blaspheme?
Thoughts?