Randy's magic allows the party to move swiftly through the streets, avoiding questions from both the citizens running about, and the squads of watch responding to the various emergencies.

The street you are following arrives at a T, the route forward towards the distant glow not obvious to Ulmwin's low altitude.

((If someone would like to make a skill check of some sort, describe what you're doing to help and give a roll!))

Dornikal gives a sniff at the air to try and figure which way the smoke is coming strongest from but the smells are all muddled.

Perception check: 9

Dornikal gives a deep sniff... buttery... savory and meaty... onion, with a hint of smoke? He subtly wipes some chicken pot pie crumbs from his upper lip.

Randy attempts to get a better read on the situation;  Survival:24

Dornikal's stomach rumbles at the reminder of an excellent pie but forces himself back to the here and now. Demons first, then pie. Or maybe pies, Dumathoin be praised!

He looks up at the guide gnome then to his ground companions with a shrug.

Randy notes the direction the breeze is blowing, and the shift and swirl of the smoke rising into the night, and deduces that while it looks to be more to the left, that the origin is actually to the right.

Coljin notes some rats fleeing whatever is ahead, and gives some squeaks at them.

Animal Handling/Speak with Small Beasts: 10

The rats pay him no mind (perhaps they couldn't see him in the shadows) and continue to flee... but they are fleeing in a direction that confirms Randy's conclusions.

Continuing on, you find a turn to get you heading back in the right direction, slipping past a couple of half dressed townsfolk and toward the orange glow. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the trio of canine creatures that are standing amid the flames, one having just exhaled fire to lick up the side of a structure. Their imperviousness to flame seems to suggest they are the hellhounds you surmised. You see six figures backlit by the flames, facing off towards the hellhounds, weapons drawn. Four wear the uniforms of the town watch, two with shield and swords drawn, the other two with crossbows trained on the beasts, all four with their less lethal cudgels hanging at their waists. One of those with a sword is a red-brown tiefling with short horns, the other swordsman an older human. A young human man holds a crossbow, alongside a female gnome. The fifth seems to be a citizen drawn out of their rest, a half dressed dwarf with a wooden mallet in one hand, and some kind of large chisel in the other. The most striking figure is the last, as they are in full plate, with hands up and ready, but no weapon drawn. It's impossible to tell race, but they are roughly of a human or elven build.

((Can Randy get a clear shot?))

((He's Randy, of course he can. 😉 If everyone is going off Randy, he can have advantage and you can pick your spots in initiative after him. The hounds (and NPCs) don't know you're there until things pop off.))

((With Advantage, huh?  Oh, this is going to be fun! };-D  ))

Randy surveys the situation, picks the Hell hound that is spraying fire, lines up his shot and looses two shots at the creature.

Dragon bow 1: Attack: 18 Damage: 10    Acid:8   Sneak attack:  2

Dragon bow 2: Attack: 25 Damage: 8   Acid: 7

Both arrows impact, sizzling the fur as the acid eats in, buckling the front legs of the creature as it snarls, looking around for the source of the arrows.

The older swordsman gives a start, also glance back into the dark shadows that hide your party before gripping his shield and turning to face them.