Ash heads in and takes two attacks at the sleeping smuggler…

Initiative: 11

Stealth check: 11 

Attack action: Attack: 25 Damage: 6 (piercing damage)

Bonus attack: Attack: 24 Damage: 2 (piercing damage)

…if either hit, add 6 sneak attack damage.

The lanterns in the main cargo hold are lit. I believe Bent re-lit them.

The lantern in this most recent quarters is lit, but very dim. 

Ok, Ash moves in on Ben's order. Kay stays out and goes and snuffs the lantern to the NW in the cargo hold. He can really hear some men talking now in that north room, still muffled but something like ".... yeah I'll go check..... don't start without me." 

Ash gets her attack in on the sleeping man. She notices that he's still wearing his chain armor as she notices it resist her blades. One of them punctures it, along with his skin and internal organs. Rude awakening. (-12)

Ben then comes in after seeing Korrik go snuff the lantern, and he stabs the just waking man quite badly, ending the man's life before he can even wake up. (-15)

That man is dead in his bed.

Ess would've also rushed into the room on Ben's orders after Ben, but not taking any attacks after he sees Ben and Ash kill the sleeping man. 

Korrik, at this moment, the north door now opens, and you see a smuggler come out. The first part of the cargo hold gets kind of dimly lit from the light in the room where he came from. "Hey boys, the light is out. They done already? Dafuq's everyone then??"

Korrik needs to make a stealth check to hide (he would've had time before the person comes out since he heard them talking about coming out) or else the smuggler will see him immediately given the light from their room. Unless Korrik had no intention of hiding. 

I think Ben, Ess and Ash heard the door open and now hear the voices as well, but they are still in the quarters. 

What is next? Map is updated. I've added the one person who Korrik can see. Korrik knows there are at least a few more in that room based on what he heard, but he doesn't know yet exactly how many. 

Stealth: 19

Korrik presses himself up into the corner. He'll bide his time for the moment, but might make a move if more than one guy starts to leave the room.

Korrik, the light is too dim and you are hidden enough behind those barrels and against the wall that the guy doesn't hear you when he initially comes out.

"Arrrrrrrrr matey, Huhh? What do you mean?" responds another person from within, and then in a few more moments two more guys start to come out. One of them is headed towards the snuffed lantern where Korrik is hiding, the other one is headed over to the hatch stairs. The other one is staying at the quarters door. "Hello?! Bill? Ted? Tango? Cash? Boss??? Arrrrrrrrrrrrrr????"

The one heading to the snuffed lantern will see Korrik in mere moments when he tries to turn the lantern back on. 

Korrik can act now, which would surprise all of the 3 smugglers and initiate combat, or he will be seen and will have some explaining to do. 

What would the others have been doing in this moment, and what will Korrik do?

Ess would've went right up to the closed door, waiting for Ben's lead. Remember that door is closed (I think, right?) so you can hear those muffled voices coming into the cargo hold. If that door is open, Ess is just pressed against the wall, peeking out. 

Map is updated. 

Initiative: 13

Korrik will flick a quick dart at the fellow in the middle of the hold, ducking back behind barrels before the other guy reaches the lantern, to try to distract and sow chaos.

Attack: 23 Damage: 6

((If it's dark enough to have advantage... 24 to hit instead.))

Ben looks back to Ess then over to Ash and loud whispers,

"Well, Kay is still out there so we probably need to go out shooting. Who knows how many there are. If things go bad retreat up those stairs there."

He readies his crossbow,

"Ess, if you would be so kind once we hear Kay kick things off."

He stands ready by the door for a shout of surprise before bursting out and shooting the first non-Kay target.

Crossbow Attack: 12 Damage: 10

Initiative: 10 

Ash’s Initiative: 20 

Ash nods to Ben and Ess, ‘ready’. Then she says, "Ess, you’re with me!”. And when the door opens, she’s out there, in a flash, and on the nearest smuggler…

She’ll ready her action for when Ess catches up, but as soon as he’s in melee range of her target she’ll attack simultaneously with him… (gaining sneak attack)

‘Readied’ attack action: Attack: 20 Damage: 5 (piercing damage)

…if it hits, add 9 sneak attack damage.

Ess initiative: 14

Ess will follow Ash's lead, bursting out and swinging his longsword a bit like a madman at the same one that Ash attacked. Likely the polar opposite of Ash's slick entry, but nonetheless he gets close enough to the smuggler to get a good swing in. 

Longsword swing: 16 Damage: 4

Smugglers initiative (surprised): 20

Summary of round 1 and beginning of round 2 to be done in next post.

If you could please wait to post rd. 2 attacks until I get that next post out - thank you!

Round 1: Ash, Ben, Smugglers, Ess, Korrik

Ash was able to get to the door before combat starts, so she's able to get to the closest smuggler without a problem. She holds her action and waits for Ess to follow her instruction.

Ben you position yourself so you have a clear shot and the bolt sticks into the smuggler and he screams out in pain. If they didn't know that they were under attack when seeing a Tabaxi burst forth, they certainly do now. (-3)

All of the smugglers are surprised this round. 

Ess comes in behind Ash, and her readied attack kicks in. What happened was Ess actually bumped her a bit and so she was off balance for her attack! I imagine Ash will have some words with Ess afterwards for that one. "FORK sorry Ash."

He tries to redeem himself by getting a good swing with his sword. Ash was off balance, but Ess manages to slash the guy pretty good through his armor and he yells out again in pain. (-4)

Ben, Ess has also now inadvertently provided that smuggler 1/2 cover should you shoot from your current location again.

Korrik, your dart just misses.

Round 2: Ash, Ben, Smugglers, Ess, Korrik

Ash is up! And then Ben. Map is updated. There is a lit lantern in the middle of the hold, so the smugglers can see at least the middle of the hold. 

Ash, Ben, Smugglers, Ess, Korrik

Ash misses and Ess hits. While pirouetting and feigning, she banters with Ess, mid-fight, like a true pirate! “Haha!!.. Don’t ever apologise for getting your hit in! <parry> <thrust> My hit, is mine to make certain of! <duck> <swipe> Not yours to worry about!… Ha! Take that!!…”. And with that, she thinks she sees an opening and stabs twice…

Attack action: Attack: 12 Damage: 4 (piercing damage)

Bonus attack: Attack: 18 Damage: 2 (piercing damage)

…if either hit, take an extra 6 sneak attack damage.

If Kay is still providing darkvision Ben will snuff the (last right?) latern in the hold and move to the other door.

(So NW, NW, W, SW, S)

If Kay isn't doing that he will still move and shoot the smuggler nearest Kay.

Crossbow: Attack: 24 Damage: 17

((Kay and Ess should still have a few hours of darkvision left.))

((So just the snuff and the move then!))

Ash, this time you don't miss. You puncture the guy's flesh with both stabs, hitting vital organs with both stabs as he falls to the ground bleeding out, dead. 

Ben snuffs the lantern, the last one that is lit in the cargo hold, and then moves over to the other door. 

The 2 remaining smugglers start to freak out as the last light goes out in the hold and their comrade gets taken out by the tabaxi. The only light they have now is in their quarters. "FORK! We are under attack! Bjorn!? Frithoff!? Aaarrrrggghh!!!! CAPTAIN!!!!??? Arrrrrrr!" and they both dash into their quarters and then you hear footsteps like they are going up stairs. You hear them yelling all the way up to the main deck and hear footsteps up there running.

The main deck is somewhat lit, with lanterns and the moonlight. The smugglers can see up there. 

These smugglers because of their shouting have alerted the lizardfolk in their quarters, who may or may not be hostile, but are definitely alerted and concerned from what they are hearing and will roll initiative to join in round 3: 6

I kept the smugglers on the map but you wouldn't know where they are until you come up, if you come up. I added back the lizardfolk as well. 

Ess says "I'll cut em off if they're headed up to the deck!" and he goes up the stairs through the hatch and indeed sees one of the smugglers right by the west quarters. He approaches the guy and tries to thrust his longsword into the guy's gut. 

Longsword stab: 9 Damage: 3

and he misses, likely because he was rushing it. 

Korrik is up! Maps are updated momentarily!

Ash, Ben, Smugglers, Ess, Korrik

Ash follows Ess upstairs ((double speed with Feline Agility, if need be, but she’s probably fine without. Let me know)). And she lays straight into the smuggler Ess is engaged with, without hesitation… stab stab…

Attack action: Attack: 18 Damage: 6 (piercing damage)

Bonus attack: Attack: 17 Damage: 3 (piercing damage)

…if either hit, add an extra 7 sneak attack damage.

((If the smuggler dies at any point, she will move to the next, even if she doesn’t have any hits left, just to get in melee with the next))

((edit… Oh! sorry!! I though Ash was up next, from the initiative list. Sorry! If Ess’s target is dead please just choose Ash another sensible target. Sorry!))

Korrik runs up the hatch, making it to the top of the stairs and flings a dart at the fellow Ess is facing off against. 

Attack: 13 Damage: 7

Ben shakes his head at how close they came to a smooth clean up.

He casts a wistful eye at the stack of silk before changing his appearance to look like the captain, silly hat and all, and moving up on deck.

He'll stay out of melee but wave his rapier that looks like a sabre menacingly.

"What's the meaning of this!"

((Just looking to spend confusion at this point!))

Korrik, you quickly run up the stairs through the hatch and release the dart. It sticks into the guy's chest as Ess glances back at you, nodding. (-6)

Round 3: Ash, Ben, Smugglers, Ess, Korrik, Lizardfolk

Then, Ash passing Korrik almost like a blur, stabbing into his neck even quicker. The guy drops. (-6) Ash then darts into the captain's quarters (it was obvious the other guy was in there as he was yelling at the captain's KO'd body) and she stabs him in his upper shoulder. Sneak attack not applicable here as there are no allies in that room. (-2)

Captain Ben comes up on deck with his rapier, and the smuggler that is in melee with Ash indeed seems very very confused. 

The smuggler yells out, seeing Captain Ben "Captain?! Is that you?! Who is this then?! What the fork?! Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" and he desperately swings his scimitar at Ash, trying to defend himself from what he sees Ash as which is an assassin. 

Scimitar slash: 13 Damage: 2

Ash evades the blade!

Ess immediately runs after Ash, gets into the captain's quarters and thrusts forward again, spearing with his longsword at the guy. 

Longsword Thrust: 19 Damage: 9

The sword plunges into the man's gut. It's a bad wound.

Korrik is up! Then the Lizardfolk. I believe their door is somewhat secured, correct? 

Maps are updated.

"Who is who? What are you doing in my quarters?"

((The lizardfolk's door was secured.))

Korrik trusts Ess and Ash (mostly Ash, if we're being honest) to finish the guy in the captain's quarters. He runs up the stairs to the starboard side, positioning himself above the lizardfolk door near the capstan, staff held at the ready.

((Lizardfolk break out with hostile intent, he'll swing down from above on the third one out.))