How would a temple of Wee Jas handle this?

[Wraith Form]

If I hire you to clean my dog's house and you find something valuable inside it, I believe it belongs to me not you, and you just can't pretend I have to buy it from you. That just makes you a thief. If I'm the church of a Lawful Neutral (with Evil tendencies) deities, you're in trouble.

I think the PCs were quite stupid if they didn't at least try to hide the fact that they found the darkskull inside the shrine...

Exactly. However, if they take it to a St. Cuthbert temple to sell it, that's just good business practice.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Efficiently.

Did the PCs have a contract that any loot they found at the holy site was theirs to keep?

If not, then the PCs (hereafter referred to as the undersigned) have no legitimate claim to the darkskull (hereafter referred to as the skull). If they had the foresight to draw up such a contract, how is "loot" defined? Is the skull "loot" if its value is only in being destroyed? By that standard, an orc is "loot" and the undersigned would not attempt to sell an orc to the Church of Our Deathly Lady, would the undersigned? Or does the undersigned believe the skull, which is an artifact of uncontrolled, untramelled, unfettered - dare I say unlawful? - evil magic, has intrinsic value? One hopes the undersigned, being a member in good standing of the Church of Our Deathly Lady, does not intend to imperil his post-mortem plans in Her Somewhat Cool But Welcoming Embrace, or to hasten the arrival of said embrace, by consorting with such an improper use of magic that is only to be employed in the proper controlled and carefully monitored manner. The undersigned surely misread the minutiae of his contract with the Church of Our Deathly Lady and, having been enlightened in this matter, will remit the object to our supervision so that it may be dealt with in a manner decided upon in accordance with Her Just and Final Princples.