Why Is It Always Spiders?

Oof, the smell of burnt hair and robes really gets to ye, by Froggoth's smoky beard. Jareth blew those cultists all to hell and while I wouldn't have minded getting some information about what they were up to around these parts, I can't say I'll regret missing a chat with the evil little cretins.
 
The rest of the ruined town didn't have much to spit on, neither. More piteous zombies, and more of those nasty plant-creatures infesting the area — they even turned that bit of druid magic I picked up against me and the lads. I 'spose if you think about it, it makes sense, though. Tryin to wrangle plants with more plants? My grandpappy would've boxed my ears for that bright idea!
 
As we reckoned before we came back to town, we went a-huntin' for any signs of this dragon that rude druid was hufflin' about. That outlander firbolg had the idea to shift into a spider's skin and do some recon that way; I have to admit, not the foolest plan I've heard from this crew! But that's about when things went south. She came hopping back — still a spider — and took off for the other spiders' nests without a note or so much as a spidery how-do-you-do! Now, I'm not about to let a fellow traveler get sucked dry by a bunch of giant spider nasties, so we smashed a couple of the disgusting buggers.
 
Then the druid pops out of whatever dark corner he was creeping in and starts hollering about the dragon and his newfound love of Talos! I knew something weren't right with that tree-hugger from the first time we ran into him here. To think we sheltered under his roof while he probably plotted to slit our throats! It's no good sign that the Talos crazies are starting to show up this far out in the countryside. For the little ones — and for those rock-headed farmers in Phandalin, too — they've got to be stopped, and soon...
 
...is what ran through my head until that hiss and roar came down from the hilltop tower. By Klimoth's rotten beard, we roused the dragon! Damn us as fools and that firbolg for bringing it down on us. If we live through this, she can live among the spiders if she likes running around as one so much. It's time to see if a few years have given this barrow-blade a powerful thirst for another dragon's blood...