With this order, you can investigate a hexagon, a community, unit, item, avatar or realm. You can investigate up to four of these with one order. Note that this investigation is not performed by a unit; you can think of it as paying the local thieves' guild for information.

Investigating a hexagon or community gives you a report in the Unit section of the Status Report on the hexagon requested or the hexagon of the community requested. The report includes the hexagon's terrain and loyalty, as well as the names, identifications, and loyalties of all items, units, and communities present in the hexagon. This order costs your treasury 5 gold per hexagon and community investigated.

Example: INVESTIGATE 45:15 C101
(Get a report on everything at hexagon 45:15 and Baldur's Gate [C101])

Investigating a unit, item or avatar tells you its location, loyalty, and followers. The unit or avatar must be alive for this order to be successful. This order costs your treasury 5 gold per unit, item and avatar investigated.

Example: INVESTIGATE U2001 I1001 A27
(Get a report on unit U2001, item I1001, and avatar A27 [Moradin] and all their followers)

Investigating a realm gives you a report on the realm. This information is the same as you would receive on each turn about your own realm: banner, treasury, gold production, hexagons owned, etc. This order costs your treasury 10 gold per realm investigated.

Example: INVESTIGATE R1 R2
(Get a report on the Wolf Clan [R1] and the Cruel Lords [R2])