Short, funny micro-adventure

[Gwaednerth]

So, I'm working on a plague adventure, and I have the whole thing worked out except for one little detail. I want to introduce the adventure with a wham moment where the players are just chilling at their local when in burst officers of the watch to announce that martial law has been established to combat the plague. The problem is, I can't just have the plague go from something they've never heard of to a full on black death in a day. So, I want to give them a little quest (like, a handful of encounters only) into which I can interject little hints. I'd like it to be something funny and lighthearted so that the hook packs some real punch. So, anyone have some funny encounters or plothooks I could use? Thanks.

[Hrugner]

A rust monster herdsman who has come down from the hills looking for someone to come look at his flock which is slowly dying of a wasting illness. For some reason no adventurer wants to get anywhere near his rust monsters and he really can't understand why. Assuming the PCs also don't want to look at the animals, make him a recurring character.

[Gwaednerth]

I like that one. Especially since mining is the main industry in the region.