She sighs and heads for the scary door. Opens it.

A blue humanoid is sitting cross-legged on a pile of furs, and raises his eyebrows as she enters. "Ah, the closed book overcomes her fears and confronts the reader. I won't peek between your pages, don't worry, your cover is intriguing enough."

"Thanks, that's super considerate. Do you also spookily know what I'm here for?"

He reclines. "Ah, a challenge of wits. How could I possibly know what you're here for without plucking it out of your thorn-studded mind? Well, I might suppose it to have something to do with the army of bloodthirsty spirits approaching this city, howling death and destruction. And I might suppose in addition that you have a personal interest, rather than merely being a concerned citizen, as I do not imagine you to be such a community-minded person as to face Okku's army purely for civic benefit. Thus I might suppose that the garish king of bears is, specifically, after your throat, and you desire my assistance." He yawns. "But that would be purest conjecture. You might simply be the latest in my endless train of admirers, come to throw themselves at my feet."

Safiya raises an eyebrow. "Might we? We seem to have beaten the rest to your door, in that case."

Hand to heart, wounded expression. "Oh, how sharp! Perhaps you are right that I have not had so many admirers while I am locked away. A regrettable fact of my circumstance."

"What are you in for?"

"My crime is terrible, indeed: I am too beautiful to look upon. The Wychlaran had me locked away after a few too many maidens fell desperately in love and were ruined for other men."

"Enh, I've seen hotter."

A smirk. "It's kind of you to deflate me. But, come now; this banter is delightful, but you came here with purpose, and I'd like to hear it argued. Why should I follow you into battle against the spirits? I have spent some time accruing their goodwill, you know, being a shaman, and it would hardly behoove me to oppose them without reason."

"Apparently you can get amnesty. For being so pretty. Then you could, like, take up unflattering cosmetics to avoid getting immediately re-arrested, in this hypothetical."

"Ahh, amnesty. Only the Wychlaran themselves could offer such a thing, and I must wonder why they would offer such a boon to one hunted by the spirits."

"We fought some Red Wizards for them," Safiya says offhandedly. "After defeating the bear god in his barrow. And tonight we're headed to the Plane of Shadows to raid Myrkul's Vault and retrieve a lost half-celestial. If that doesn't sound interesting, though, there's always staying in a prison cell and hibernating until something that does catch your fancy comes along."

"I see... I suppose that sounds amusing enough."

The prisoner stands, somewhat reluctantly, and bows. "Gannayev-of-Dreams, at your service. You may, if necessary, call me Gann."

"Belmarniss. You may if you feel like it call me Niss."

"Safiya. I'm afraid it doesn't shorten well."

"Excellent."

On their way out, Gann leans on the warden's desk. "If you would return my possessions, my good witch?"

     She scowls, retrieving a long box from a shelf behind her. "Take them and begone, dreamwalker. I shall be glad to be rid of you."

"Shall you indeed?" Gann laughs. "And you have never dreamed of my face, my hot passions, my wicked embrace? It seemed sometimes as if I was the only thing livening your twilight years, o matron-of-the-cell."

     The witch snarls audibly. "Leave, hagspawn. Curse only these fools with your presence."

"Very well, very well. Perhaps in another life and in other forms we shall meet again, and your wrinkles and thinning hair and bad hip will serve as no impediment to our love."

And he saunters out of the prison, carrying his possessions with him.

"Do you have Dream Shield?" Belmarniss murmurs to Safiya.

"It's never seemed like a priority," Safiya says ruefully.

"I did say I would not peek into your fantasies, did I not?" Gann says irritably. "At any rate, Belmarniss, you may rest - as it were - assured; I did not say idly that your mind is studded with thorns. You would be a most inhospitable environment, even to one as skilled as I."

"Oh, good, I'm delighted to hear it."

"An amoral dream-walker, a Red Wizard, and a foreigner cursed by the spirits... I don't think we'll have any trouble making friends in this town," Safiya says under her breath. "Should we collect the wayward angel now, and complete the set?"

The sun does appear to be going down.

"Yeah. Gann, you coming on that sidequest, the deal only covered the bear god situation."

He shrugs. "It sounds intriguing. And if this angel turns out to be another beautiful young woman, well, so much the better if I aid in her rescue."

"...We could pick up Dream Shield if they have it in a shop here for other people," Belmarniss suggests to Safiya.