diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 821b99f..c29b44c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -134,7 +134,13 @@ running from 4 July 2023 till 22 August 2023.
   coordinates over to some new `VIEWPORT` coordinates.
 	- In fact, it was this straightforward. `camera.ts` now incorporates the new constants.
 
-### Week 5 - 1 August 2023 - Items, inventory and ranged targeting
+### [Week 5](https://old.reddit.com/r/roguelikedev/comments/15fd445/roguelikedev_does_the_complete_roguelike_tutorial/) - 1 August 2023 - Items, inventory and ranged targeting
+
+- There's a sensible de-coupling of the input from the visuals, which allows for nice things like animations in the
+  future.
+- The tutorial implements a mouse-pointer investigation mechanic--I don't like that, so I've opted for something more
+  traditional. To investigate items in a tile, a player must go to the tile and press `i`, and they will get a log of
+  the items in that tile to the message log. This is implemented in `investigatePosition()` in `actions.ts`.
 
 ### Week 6 - 8 August 2023 - Save/load and leveling up
 
@@ -165,7 +171,7 @@ never to return. Steeling your nerves, you set forth into the dungeon.
 - [x] Player has field-of-view
 - [x] Spawn monsters
 - [x] Players can fight monsters
-- [ ] Add items
+- [ ] Add items and inventory
 - [ ] Add Orb of Yezriel, let the player win when getting it
 - [ ] Game over when the player dies
 
diff --git a/src/actions.ts b/src/actions.ts
index 3e2cfdc..a925b46 100644
--- a/src/actions.ts
+++ b/src/actions.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ export function tryMoveEntity(game: Game, entity: Entity, delta: Vector2, absolu
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Inflict damage on an entity safely while checking for multiple sources of IncomingDamage.
+ * @param entity Target entity
+ * @param amount Amount of damage to inflict
+ */
 export function inflictDamage(entity: Entity, amount: number) {
     if (!entity.hasComponent(Components.IncomingDamage)) {
         entity.addComponent(Components.IncomingDamage, { amount });
@@ -67,4 +72,48 @@ export function inflictDamage(entity: Entity, amount: number) {
         const incomingDamage = entity.getMutableComponent(Components.IncomingDamage)!;
         incomingDamage.amount += amount;
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+/**
+ * Investigate the items in the current position and log them to the message log.
+ * @param game Game object
+ * @param position Target tile position
+ */
+export function investigatePosition(game: Game, position: Vector2) {
+    // get the list of entities at this position that are an Item
+    const items = game.map
+        .getTileContent(position)
+        .filter((item) => item.hasComponent(Components.Item));
+
+    if (items.length === 0) {
+        // if there wasn't an item, return to log
+        game.log.addMessage('There\'s nothing here.');
+    } else {
+        // go through and log each item to the player
+        for (const item of items) {
+            const itemName = item.getComponent(Components.Name)?.name || 'mysterious thing';
+            game.log.addMessage(`There's a ${ itemName } here.`);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Attempts to pick up an item at the given Position by the Entity.
+ * @param game Game object
+ * @param entity Target entity
+ * @param position Target tile position
+ */
+export function attemptToPickUp(game: Game, entity: Entity, position: Vector2) {
+    // get the list of entities at this position that are an Item
+    const items = game.map
+        .getTileContent(position)
+        .filter((item) => item.hasComponent(Components.Item));
+
+    // get the first
+    const targetItem = items[0];
+
+    // if there wasn't an item, return to log
+    if (targetItem === undefined) game.log.addMessage('No item to pick up here.');
+    // otherwise Attempt To Pickup the Item
+    else entity.addComponent(Components.AttemptToPickupItem, { item: targetItem });
+}
diff --git a/src/components.ts b/src/components.ts
index f27a364..b9d5d70 100644
--- a/src/components.ts
+++ b/src/components.ts
@@ -49,13 +49,16 @@ export class Name extends Component<Name> {
 /**
  * Renderable component
  * @param glyph `Terminal.Glyph` for rendering on the canvas
+ * @param zIndex rendering order, highest drawn last
  */
 export class Renderable extends Component<Renderable> {
     // glyph can never be undefined
     glyph!: Terminal.Glyph;
+    zIndex = 0;
 
     static schema: ComponentSchema = {
         glyph: { type: Types.Ref },
+        zIndex: { type: Types.Number },
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/level-gen.ts b/src/level-gen.ts
index d8552a0..edc8d90 100644
--- a/src/level-gen.ts
+++ b/src/level-gen.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { Entity, World } from 'ecsy';
-import { CharCode, Color, Glyph, Rand } from "malwoden";
+import { CharCode, Color, Glyph, Rand, Vector2 } from "malwoden";
 
 import * as Components from './components.ts';
 import * as Constants from './constants.ts';
@@ -29,10 +29,14 @@ export function generateLevel(config: GenerateLevelConfig): LevelData {
         .createEntity()
         .addComponent(Components.Player)
         .addComponent(Components.Position, startRoom.center())
-        .addComponent(Components.Renderable, { glyph: Glyph.fromCharCode(CharCode.at, Color.Yellow) })
+        .addComponent(Components.Renderable, {
+            glyph: Glyph.fromCharCode(CharCode.at, Color.Yellow),
+            zIndex: 10,
+        })
         .addComponent(Components.Viewshed, { range: Constants.PLAYER_FOV_RANGE })
         .addComponent(Components.BlocksTile)
         .addComponent(Components.Name, { name: 'Player' })
+        .addComponent(Components.Inventory)
         .addComponent(Components.Attributes, {
             hp: 30,
             maxHp: 30,
@@ -40,7 +44,7 @@ export function generateLevel(config: GenerateLevelConfig): LevelData {
             defense: 2,
         });
 
-    // create monsters
+    // create monsters and items
     // i = 1 to skip the first room
     for (let i = 1; i < map.rooms.length; i++) {
         const room = map.rooms[i];
@@ -63,17 +67,42 @@ export function generateLevel(config: GenerateLevelConfig): LevelData {
         const creatureType = rng.nextInt(0, 100);
         if (creatureType < 50) {
             entity
-                .addComponent(Components.Renderable, { glyph: Glyph.fromCharCode(CharCode.gLower, Color.Red) })
+                .addComponent(Components.Renderable, {
+                    glyph: Glyph.fromCharCode(CharCode.gLower, Color.Red),
+                    zIndex: 9,
+                })
                 .addComponent(Components.Name, { name: 'Goblin' });
         } else {
             entity
-                .addComponent(Components.Renderable, { glyph: Glyph.fromCharCode(CharCode.oLower, Color.Red) })
+                .addComponent(Components.Renderable, {
+                    glyph: Glyph.fromCharCode(CharCode.oLower, Color.Red),
+                    zIndex: 9,
+                })
                 .addComponent(Components.Name, { name: 'Orc' });
         }
+
+        // create items
+        if (rng.next() < 0.2) {
+            // get a random spot in the room
+            const randomX = rng.nextInt(room.v1.x, room.v2.x + 1);
+            const randomY = rng.nextInt(room.v1.y, room.v2.y + 1);
+            spawnBandage(world, { x: randomX, y: randomY });
+        }
     }
 
     return {
         map,
         player,
     };
+}
+
+function spawnBandage(world: World, position: Vector2) {
+    world
+        .createEntity()
+        .addComponent(Components.Item)
+        .addComponent(Components.Position, position)
+        .addComponent(Components.Name, { name: 'Bandage' })
+        .addComponent(Components.Renderable, {
+            glyph: Glyph.fromCharCode(CharCode.bLower, Color.Orange),
+        });
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index 406ee50..532608d 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ export class Game {
             .registerSystem(Systems.MeleeCombat, this)
             .registerSystem(Systems.DamageSystem, this)
             .registerSystem(Systems.DeathSystem, this)
+            .registerSystem(Systems.InventorySystem, this)
             .registerSystem(Systems.MapIndexing, this)
             .registerSystem(Systems.RenderSystem, this);
     }
@@ -122,6 +123,18 @@ export class Game {
                     break;
                 }
 
+                // investigate
+                case Input.KeyCode.I: {
+                    Actions.investigatePosition(this, this.player.getComponent(Components.Position)!);
+                    break;
+                }
+
+                // pick up an item
+                case Input.KeyCode.P: {
+                    Actions.attemptToPickUp(this, this.player, this.player.getComponent(Components.Position)!);
+                    break;
+                }
+
                 // arrow keys
                 case Input.KeyCode.LeftArrow: {
                     Actions.tryMoveEntity(this, this.player, { x: -1, y: 0 });
diff --git a/src/systems/index.ts b/src/systems/index.ts
index 68007a3..04b159c 100644
--- a/src/systems/index.ts
+++ b/src/systems/index.ts
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@ export { EnemyAISystem } from './enemy-ai';
 export { MapIndexing } from './map-indexing';
 export { MeleeCombat } from './melee-combat.ts';
 export { DamageSystem } from './damage-system.ts';
-export { DeathSystem } from './death-system.ts';
\ No newline at end of file
+export { DeathSystem } from './death-system.ts';
+export { InventorySystem } from './inventory-system.ts';
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/systems/inventory-system.ts b/src/systems/inventory-system.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..144e990
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/systems/inventory-system.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import { System, SystemQueries, World } from 'ecsy';
+
+import { Game } from '../main.ts';
+import * as Components from '../components.ts';
+
+export class InventorySystem extends System {
+    game: Game;
+
+    constructor(world: World, game: Game) {
+        super(world, game);
+        this.game = game;
+    }
+
+    static queries: SystemQueries = {
+        wantsToPickup: {
+            components: [Components.AttemptToPickupItem],
+        },
+    };
+
+    execute() {
+        const { results } = this.queries.wantsToPickup;
+
+        for (const entity of results) {
+            const wantsToPickup = entity.getComponent(Components.AttemptToPickupItem)!;
+            const inventory = entity.getComponent(Components.Inventory);
+            const entityName = entity.getComponent(Components.Name)?.name || 'Someone';
+            const itemName = wantsToPickup.item.getComponent(Components.Name)?.name || 'something';
+
+            // we must have an inventory to pick something up
+            if (inventory) {
+                // add the item to inventory
+                inventory.items.push(wantsToPickup.item);
+
+                // remove it from the map
+                wantsToPickup.item.removeComponent(Components.Position);
+
+                // log the interaction
+                this.game.log.addMessage(`${ entityName } picked up ${ itemName }.`);
+            }
+
+            // interaction is complete, remove the Attempt
+            entity.removeComponent(Components.AttemptToPickupItem);
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/systems/render.ts b/src/systems/render.ts
index bb54e74..1b56a58 100644
--- a/src/systems/render.ts
+++ b/src/systems/render.ts
@@ -143,8 +143,15 @@ export class RenderSystem extends System {
             }
         }
 
-        // draw each entity
-        for (const entity of results) {
+        // sort entities in the tile by zIndex
+        const zIndexResults = results.sort((entityA, entityB) => {
+            const entityARender = entityA.getComponent(Components.Renderable)!;
+            const entityBRender = entityB.getComponent(Components.Renderable)!;
+            return entityARender.zIndex - entityBRender.zIndex;
+        });
+
+        // draw each entity from the sorted list of results by zIndex
+        for (const entity of zIndexResults) {
             const position = entity.getComponent(Components.Position)!;
             const renderable = entity.getComponent(Components.Renderable)!;