diff --git a/internal/app/game_view.go b/internal/app/game_view.go
index dcd4c52..83efd6d 100644
--- a/internal/app/game_view.go
+++ b/internal/app/game_view.go
@@ -36,13 +36,13 @@ func (v *gameView) walkHandler(e *tcell.EventKey) change {
 	if e.Key() == tcell.KeyRune {
 		switch e.Rune() {
 		case 'w':
-			return move{0, -1}
+			return move(math.Up)
 		case 'a':
-			return move{-1, 0}
+			return move(math.Left)
 		case 's':
-			return move{0, 1}
+			return move(math.Down)
 		case 'd':
-			return move{1, 0}
+			return move(math.Right)
 		case 'i':
 			return openInventory{}
 		case 'l':
@@ -175,13 +175,10 @@ func (v *gameView) drawHeader(img canvas, st *state) {
 
 func (v *gameView) setFocus(yes bool) { v.inFocus = yes }
 
-type move struct {
-	x int
-	y int
-}
+type move math.Vec
 
 func (m move) exec(ui *UI) {
-	go ui.client.Send(sim.Move{m.x, m.y})
+	go ui.client.Send(sim.Move(m))
 }
 
 type lookAt struct {
@@ -243,7 +240,7 @@ func (p pickup) exec(ui *UI) {
 		case *sim.Pickedup:
 			ui.misc <- func(ui *UI) {
 				ui.state.detail = textView(fmt.Sprintf("you picked up: %s", v.Name))
-				ui.state.inventory.items = append(ui.state.inventory.items, item{name: v.Name})
+				ui.state.inventory.items = append(ui.state.inventory.items, item{ID: v.ID, name: v.Name})
 			}
 		case wire.Error:
 			ui.misc <- func(ui *UI) {
@@ -256,3 +253,29 @@ func (p pickup) exec(ui *UI) {
 		}
 	}()
 }
+
+type putdown sim.Putdown
+
+func (p putdown) exec(ui *UI) {
+	go func() {
+		res, err := ui.client.Send(sim.Putdown(p))
+		if err != nil {
+			ui.state.detail = textView(err.Error())
+			return
+		}
+
+		switch v := res.Body.(type) {
+		case *wire.OK:
+			ui.state.inventory.removeItem(p.ID)
+
+		case wire.Error:
+			ui.misc <- func(ui *UI) {
+				ui.state.detail = textView(v.Error())
+			}
+		default:
+			ui.misc <- func(ui *UI) {
+				ui.state.detail = textView(fmt.Sprintf("unexpected putdown response type: %T", res.Body))
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+}
diff --git a/internal/app/inventory.go b/internal/app/inventory.go
index 0592d87..cd3ba17 100644
--- a/internal/app/inventory.go
+++ b/internal/app/inventory.go
@@ -5,51 +5,136 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/gdamore/tcell/v2"
 	"github.com/jordanorelli/astro-domu/internal/math"
+	"github.com/jordanorelli/astro-domu/internal/wire"
 )
 
 type inventory struct {
 	items []item
 }
 
+func (inv *inventory) removeItem(id int) bool {
+	for i, item := range inv.items {
+		if item.ID == id {
+			inv.items = append(inv.items[:i], inv.items[i+1:]...)
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 type item struct {
+	ID   int
 	name string
 }
 
 type inventoryView struct {
 	highlight int
+	avatar    *wire.Entity // probably but not necessarily the player avatar
 	*inventory
+	keyHandler func(*tcell.EventKey) change
 }
 
 func (v *inventoryView) handleEvent(e tcell.Event) change {
+	if v.keyHandler == nil {
+		v.keyHandler = v.selectHandler
+	}
+
 	switch t := e.(type) {
 	case *tcell.EventKey:
-		key := t.Key()
-		switch key {
-		case tcell.KeyEnter:
-		case tcell.KeyDown:
-			if len(v.items) > 0 {
-				v.highlight = (v.highlight + 1) % len(v.items)
+		return v.keyHandler(t)
+	default:
+		// ui.Debug("screen saw unhandled event of type %T", e)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (v *inventoryView) selectHandler(e *tcell.EventKey) change {
+	key := e.Key()
+
+	if key == tcell.KeyRune {
+		switch e.Rune() {
+		case 'p':
+			v.keyHandler = v.putdownHandler
+			return nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	switch key {
+	case tcell.KeyEnter:
+	case tcell.KeyDown:
+		if len(v.items) > 0 {
+			v.highlight = (v.highlight + 1) % len(v.items)
+		}
+
+	case tcell.KeyUp:
+		if len(v.items) > 0 {
+			v.highlight = (v.highlight - 1 + len(v.items)) % len(v.items)
+		}
+
+	case tcell.KeyESC:
+		return changeFn(func(ui *UI) {
+			if ui.root == inGameView {
+				inGameView.focus(0)
 			}
+		})
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (v *inventoryView) putdownHandler(e *tcell.EventKey) change {
+	key := e.Key()
 
-		case tcell.KeyUp:
-			if len(v.items) > 0 {
-				v.highlight = (v.highlight - 1 + len(v.items)) % len(v.items)
+	if key == tcell.KeyRune {
+		switch e.Rune() {
+		case 'w':
+			return putdown{
+				ID:       v.items[v.highlight].ID,
+				Location: v.avatar.Position.Add(math.Up),
+			}
+		case 'a':
+			return putdown{
+				ID:       v.items[v.highlight].ID,
+				Location: v.avatar.Position.Add(math.Left),
+			}
+		case 's':
+			return putdown{
+				ID:       v.items[v.highlight].ID,
+				Location: v.avatar.Position.Add(math.Down),
 			}
+		case 'd':
+			return putdown{
+				ID:       v.items[v.highlight].ID,
+				Location: v.avatar.Position.Add(math.Left),
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	switch key {
+	case tcell.KeyEnter:
+	case tcell.KeyDown:
+		if len(v.items) > 0 {
+			v.highlight = (v.highlight + 1) % len(v.items)
+		}
 
-		case tcell.KeyESC:
-			return changeFn(func(ui *UI) {
-				if ui.root == inGameView {
-					inGameView.focus(0)
-				}
-			})
+	case tcell.KeyUp:
+		if len(v.items) > 0 {
+			v.highlight = (v.highlight - 1 + len(v.items)) % len(v.items)
 		}
+
+	case tcell.KeyESC:
+		return changeFn(func(ui *UI) {
+			if ui.root == inGameView {
+				inGameView.focus(0)
+			}
+		})
 	}
 
 	return nil
 }
 
 func (v *inventoryView) draw(img canvas, st *state) {
-	v.inventory = &st.inventory
+	v.avatar = st.avatar
 	writeString(img, "Inventory", math.Vec{0, 0}, tcell.StyleDefault)
 	for i, item := range st.inventory.items {
 		line := fmt.Sprintf("- %s", item.name)
@@ -64,7 +149,10 @@ type openInventory struct{}
 
 func (openInventory) exec(ui *UI) {
 	if ui.root == inGameView {
-		ui.state.detail = &inventoryView{}
+		ui.state.detail = &inventoryView{
+			avatar:    ui.state.avatar,
+			inventory: &ui.state.inventory,
+		}
 		inGameView.focus(1)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/internal/app/login.go b/internal/app/login.go
index 56e8e89..d5d92e1 100644
--- a/internal/app/login.go
+++ b/internal/app/login.go
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ func (l login) exec(ui *UI) {
 		ui.state.room = new(wire.Room)
 	}
 	p := welcome.Players[l.name]
-	// avi := p.Avatar
 	room := welcome.Rooms[p.Room]
-	// e := room.Entities[p.Avatar]
+	e := room.Entities[p.Avatar]
+	ui.state.avatar = &e
 	ui.state.room = &room
 
 	ui.root = inGameView
diff --git a/internal/app/state.go b/internal/app/state.go
index 9eb32ad..dcfd6c1 100644
--- a/internal/app/state.go
+++ b/internal/app/state.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 
 type state struct {
 	playerName string
+	avatar     *wire.Entity
 	room       *wire.Room
 	history    []sim.ChatMessage
 	inventory  inventory
diff --git a/internal/app/ui.go b/internal/app/ui.go
index 6a2a3a8..1b0c315 100644
--- a/internal/app/ui.go
+++ b/internal/app/ui.go
@@ -102,6 +102,9 @@ func (ui *UI) handleNotification(v wire.Value) bool {
 	switch n := v.(type) {
 
 	case *wire.Entity:
+		if ui.state.avatar != nil && n.ID == ui.state.avatar.ID {
+			*ui.state.avatar = *n
+		}
 		ui.state.room.Entities[n.ID] = *n
 		return true
 
@@ -113,6 +116,13 @@ func (ui *UI) handleNotification(v wire.Value) bool {
 		ui.state.room.Name = n.RoomName
 		ui.state.room.Rect = n.RoomSize
 		ui.state.room.Entities = n.Entities
+		if ui.state.avatar != nil {
+			e, ok := n.Entities[ui.state.avatar.ID]
+			if ok {
+				*ui.state.avatar = e
+			}
+		}
+
 		return true
 
 	case *wire.Delta:
@@ -120,6 +130,13 @@ func (ui *UI) handleNotification(v wire.Value) bool {
 			ui.state.room.Rect = *n.RoomSize
 		}
 
+		if ui.state.avatar != nil {
+			id := ui.state.avatar.ID
+			if ep, ok := n.Entities[id]; ok {
+				*ui.state.avatar = *ep
+			}
+		}
+
 		if len(n.Entities) > 0 {
 			for id, e := range n.Entities {
 				if e != nil {
diff --git a/internal/math/vec.go b/internal/math/vec.go
index 0b03201..c57c20b 100644
--- a/internal/math/vec.go
+++ b/internal/math/vec.go
@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 )
 
+var (
+	Origin = Vec{0, 0}
+	Up     = Vec{0, -1} // w
+	Left   = Vec{-1, 0} // a
+	Down   = Vec{0, 1}  // s
+	Right  = Vec{1, 0}  // d
+)
+
 type Vec struct {
 	X int
 	Y int
diff --git a/internal/sim/player.go b/internal/sim/player.go
index 8fbc022..17fc7cd 100644
--- a/internal/sim/player.go
+++ b/internal/sim/player.go
@@ -295,12 +295,13 @@ func (pu *Pickup) exec(w *world, r *room, pl *player, seq int) result {
 		}
 		nextTile.here = nextTile.here[0:0]
 		pl.inventory = append(pl.inventory, e)
-		return result{reply: Pickedup{Name: e.name}}
+		return result{reply: Pickedup{ID: e.ID, Name: e.name}}
 	}
 	return result{reply: wire.Errorf("nothing here")}
 }
 
 type Pickedup struct {
+	ID   int    `json:"id"`
 	Name string `json:"name"`
 }