diff --git a/internal/state/state.go b/internal/state/state.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..df80bbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/state/state.go
@@ -0,0 +1,396 @@
+package state
+
+/* STATE
+ * This package encapsulates various state information
+ * state is represented in various global singletons
+ * Additionally, this package offers a pub/sub interface
+ * for various aspects of state
+ */
+
+import (
+	"slices"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/bwmarrin/discordgo"
+)
+
+/* Event interface is meant to encapsulate a general interface
+ * extendable for any different action the bot takes or that a
+ * user takes.
+ */
+
+const (
+	BadEventTypeError          = "bad event type"
+	EventValidationFailedError = "event failed validation: "
+)
+
+var DiscordSession *discordgo.Session
+var eventMutex sync.RWMutex
+var eventSubscriptionCache = [NumEventTypes][]chan Event{}
+var eventCache = []Event{}
+
+// TODO: Configurable
+var eventChannelBufferSize = 256
+
+// TODO: pruned events go to DISK
+// ASSUMES eventCache is ordered by age (oldest first)
+func pruneEventCache() {
+	eventMutex.Lock()
+	defer eventMutex.Unlock()
+
+	oldCacheInvalid := false
+	newCache := []Event{}
+	for _, obj := range eventCache {
+		if time.Since(obj.Time()).Hours() > 24*10 {
+			oldCacheInvalid = true
+		} else if oldCacheInvalid {
+			newCache = append(newCache, obj)
+		}
+	}
+
+	eventCache = newCache
+}
+
+type EventType int8
+
+const (
+	Vote EventType = iota
+	Challenge
+	Restoration
+	UserActive
+	// ...
+
+	// leave this last
+	NumEventTypes
+)
+
+func (et EventType) Validate() error {
+	if et < 0 || et >= NumEventTypes {
+		return stringErrorType(BadEventTypeError)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+type Event interface {
+	// gets EventType associated with event
+	Type() EventType
+
+	// gets time event created
+	Time() time.Time
+
+	// gets internal metadata associated with event
+	// may be read only depending on event implementation
+	Data() map[string]string
+
+	// validates state of internal metadata per EventType
+	Validate() error
+}
+
+// TODO: Something better than this
+type stringErrorType string
+
+func (s stringErrorType) Error() string {
+	return string(s)
+}
+
+/* adds a new subscriber channel to the event subscription cache
+ * and returns the channel that it will publish notifications on
+ *
+ * note: channel is prefilled with at most eventChannelBufferSize
+ *  historical events. Truncated if history exceeds event channel
+ *  buffer size.
+ */
+func (et EventType) SubscribeWithHistory() (chan Event, error) {
+	if err := et.Validate(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	ch := make(chan Event, eventChannelBufferSize)
+
+	eventMutex.Lock()
+	eventSubscriptionCache[et] = append(
+		eventSubscriptionCache[et],
+		ch,
+	)
+	eventMutex.Unlock()
+
+	eventMutex.RLock()
+	defer eventMutex.RUnlock()
+	numEventsAdded := 0
+	for _, ev := range slices.Backward(eventCache) {
+		if numEventsAdded >= eventChannelBufferSize {
+			break
+		}
+
+		if ev.Type() == et {
+			ch <- ev
+			numEventsAdded += 1
+		}
+	}
+
+	return ch, nil
+}
+
+/* adds a new subscriber channel to the event subscription cache
+ * and returns the channel that it will publish notifications on
+ */
+func (et EventType) Subscribe() (chan Event, error) {
+	if err := et.Validate(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	ch := make(chan Event, eventChannelBufferSize)
+
+	eventMutex.Lock()
+	defer eventMutex.Unlock()
+	eventSubscriptionCache[et] = append(
+		eventSubscriptionCache[et],
+		ch,
+	)
+
+	return ch, nil
+}
+
+func PublishEvent(e Event) error {
+	if err := ValidateEvent(e); err != nil {
+		return stringErrorType(
+			EventValidationFailedError + err.Error(),
+		)
+	}
+
+	eventMutex.Lock()
+	eventCache = append(eventCache, e)
+	eventMutex.Unlock()
+	eventMutex.RLock()
+	defer eventMutex.RUnlock()
+	for _, c := range eventSubscriptionCache[e.Type()] {
+		if float32(len(c)) > (float32(eventChannelBufferSize) * 0.25) {
+			if len(c) == eventChannelBufferSize {
+				// TODO: log that this publish is blocking
+				// on a full channel
+			}
+		}
+		c <- e
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func ValidateEvent(e Event) error {
+	if err := e.Type().Validate(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if err := e.Validate(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+/* gets all events of type T in cache
+ * that also share all field values in
+ * map 'filters'
+ */
+func GetMatchingEvents(
+	t EventType,
+	filters map[string]string,
+) ([]Event, error) {
+	matches := []Event{}
+
+	if err := t.Validate(); err != nil {
+		return matches, err
+	}
+
+	eventMutex.RLock()
+	defer eventMutex.RUnlock()
+
+Events:
+	for _, e := range eventCache {
+		if e.Type() != t {
+			continue
+		}
+		for k, v := range filters {
+			val, found := e.Data()[k]
+			if !found || val != v {
+				continue Events
+			}
+		}
+
+		matches = append(matches, e)
+	}
+
+	return matches, nil
+}
+
+type VoteEvent map[string]string
+
+const (
+	VoteMissingKeyError = "vote data not found: "
+	VoteCreatedKey      = "created"
+	VoteRequesterKey    = "requester"
+	VoteActionKey       = "action"
+
+	VoteResultKey          = "result"
+	VoteResultPass         = "pass"
+	VoteResultFail         = "fail"
+	VoteResultTie          = "tie"
+	VoteResultTimeout      = "timeout"
+	VoteBadResultError     = "vote has invalid result: "
+	VoteNotFinishedError   = "vote has result but isnt finished"
+	VoteMissingResultError = "vote finished but missing result"
+
+	VoteStatusKey        = "status"
+	VoteStatusInProgress = "in_progress"
+	VoteStatusFinalized  = "finalized"
+	VoteStatusTimeout    = "timed_out"
+	VoteBadStatusError   = "vote has invalid status: "
+
+	VeryOldVote = "1990-01-01T00:00:00Z"
+)
+
+func (ve VoteEvent) Type() EventType {
+	return Vote
+}
+
+func (ve VoteEvent) Time() time.Time {
+	t, e := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, ve[VoteCreatedKey])
+	if e != nil {
+		// we have a corrupted event
+		// TODO: log first
+		// return old time so that this event gets
+		// pruned from cache
+		tooOld, _ := time.Parse(
+			time.RFC3339,
+			VeryOldVote,
+		)
+		return tooOld
+	}
+	return t
+}
+
+func (ve VoteEvent) Data() map[string]string {
+	return map[string]string(ve)
+}
+
+func (ve VoteEvent) Validate() error {
+	// make sure action, requester, and created are set
+	for _, key := range []string{
+		VoteActionKey,
+		VoteRequesterKey,
+		VoteCreatedKey,
+		VoteStatusKey,
+	} {
+		if _, found := ve[key]; !found {
+			return stringErrorType(
+				VoteMissingKeyError + key)
+		}
+	}
+
+	status := ve[VoteStatusKey]
+	if status != VoteStatusTimeout &&
+		status != VoteStatusInProgress &&
+		status != VoteStatusFinalized {
+		return stringErrorType(VoteBadStatusError + status)
+	}
+
+	result, hasResult := ve[VoteResultKey]
+	if hasResult && status == VoteStatusInProgress {
+		return stringErrorType(VoteNotFinishedError)
+	}
+	if status != VoteStatusInProgress && !hasResult {
+		return stringErrorType(VoteMissingResultError)
+	}
+
+	if hasResult &&
+		(result != VoteResultPass &&
+			result != VoteResultFail &&
+			result != VoteResultTie &&
+			result != VoteResultTimeout) {
+
+		return stringErrorType(VoteBadResultError + result)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+type UserEvent struct {
+	uid     string
+	created time.Time
+}
+
+const (
+	UserEventUserKey      = "user"
+	UserEventCreatedKey   = "created"
+	UserEventBadUserError = "event has bad user"
+)
+
+func (ue UserEvent) Time() time.Time {
+	return ue.created
+}
+
+func (ue UserEvent) Data() map[string]string {
+	return map[string]string{
+		UserEventUserKey:    ue.uid,
+		UserEventCreatedKey: ue.created.Local().String(),
+	}
+}
+
+func (ue UserEvent) Validate() error {
+	if DiscordSession != nil {
+		_, err := DiscordSession.User(ue.uid)
+		return err
+	} else {
+		// TODO: Log validation failure
+		// I would love to know how to actually fail here
+		// and still have unit testable code.
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
+type ChallengeEvent struct {
+	UserEvent
+}
+
+func (ce ChallengeEvent) Type() EventType {
+	return Challenge
+}
+
+func NewChallengeEvent(user string) ChallengeEvent {
+	return ChallengeEvent{UserEvent{
+		uid:     user,
+		created: time.Now(),
+	}}
+}
+
+type RestorationEvent struct {
+	UserEvent
+}
+
+func (re RestorationEvent) Type() EventType {
+	return Restoration
+}
+
+func NewRestorationEvent(user string) RestorationEvent {
+	return RestorationEvent{UserEvent{
+		uid:     user,
+		created: time.Now(),
+	}}
+}
+
+type UserActiveEvent struct {
+	UserEvent
+}
+
+func (ua UserActiveEvent) Type() EventType {
+	return UserActive
+}
+
+func NewUserActiveEvent(user string) UserActiveEvent {
+	return UserActiveEvent{UserEvent{
+		uid:     user,
+		created: time.Now(),
+	}}
+}
diff --git a/internal/state/state_test.go b/internal/state/state_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d98b1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/state/state_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,213 @@
+package state
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+/* WARNING:
+ * Cannot run these tests in parallel!
+ * limitation of SetupTest and CleanupTest
+ */
+
+const TestTok = "TEST_NAME"
+
+func SetupTest(t *testing.T) {
+	old, _ := time.Parse(
+		time.RFC3339,
+		VeryOldVote,
+	)
+
+	for i := range 270 {
+		if err := PublishEvent(UserActiveEvent{UserEvent{
+			uid:     fmt.Sprintf("%d", i),
+			created: old,
+		}}); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("Failed to add event: %e", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	PublishEvent(UserActiveEvent{UserEvent{
+		uid:     fmt.Sprintf(TestTok),
+		created: time.Now(),
+	}})
+
+	PublishEvent(ChallengeEvent{UserEvent{
+		uid:     fmt.Sprintf(TestTok),
+		created: time.Now(),
+	}})
+
+	if len(eventCache) != 272 {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected number of events in cache: %d",
+			len(eventCache))
+	}
+}
+
+func CleanupTest() {
+	eventSubscriptionCache = [NumEventTypes][]chan Event{}
+	eventCache = []Event{}
+}
+
+func TestPubSub(t *testing.T) {
+	SetupTest(t)
+
+	c, e := UserActive.SubscribeWithHistory()
+	if e != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Error subscribing to UserActive events: %e", e)
+	}
+
+Loop:
+	for i := 0; true; i++ {
+		select {
+		case e, ok := <-c:
+			if !ok {
+				t.Errorf("Subscription Channel Closed")
+			}
+			if e.Type() != UserActive {
+				t.Errorf("Non UserActive Event in UserActive subscription: %v", e.Type())
+			}
+		default:
+			if i == eventChannelBufferSize {
+				break Loop
+			} else {
+				t.Errorf("Unexpected number of events in channel: %d", i)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	PublishEvent(UserActiveEvent{UserEvent{
+		uid:     "uniqueToken",
+		created: time.Now(),
+	}})
+
+	select {
+	case e, ok := <-c:
+		if !ok || e.Data()[UserEventUserKey] != "uniqueToken" {
+			t.Errorf("didnt read correct event from channel: %v", e)
+		}
+	default:
+		t.Errorf("New event not published to subscription!")
+	}
+
+	CleanupTest()
+}
+
+func TestFilterCache(t *testing.T) {
+	SetupTest(t)
+
+	events, err := GetMatchingEvents(
+		UserActive,
+		map[string]string{
+			UserEventUserKey: TestTok,
+		},
+	)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Error filtering events: %e", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(events) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("Got too many events from filter: %d", len(events))
+	}
+
+	if events[0].Type() != UserActive {
+		t.Errorf("Got wrong event!: %+v", events[0])
+	}
+
+	CleanupTest()
+}
+
+func TestPruneCache(t *testing.T) {
+	SetupTest(t)
+	pruneEventCache()
+
+	if len(eventCache) != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("Incorrect number of remaining events: %d", len(eventCache))
+	}
+
+	CleanupTest()
+}
+
+func TestVoteEventValidations(t *testing.T) {
+	var err error
+
+	if err = VoteEvent(
+		map[string]string{
+			VoteRequesterKey: "r",
+			VoteCreatedKey:   "c",
+			VoteStatusKey:    VoteStatusInProgress,
+		},
+	).Validate(); err.Error() != VoteMissingKeyError+VoteActionKey {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected error from validation: %e", err)
+	}
+
+	if err = VoteEvent(
+		map[string]string{
+			VoteActionKey:    "a",
+			VoteRequesterKey: "r",
+			VoteCreatedKey:   "c",
+			VoteStatusKey:    VoteStatusInProgress,
+		},
+	).Validate(); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected error: %e", err)
+	}
+
+	if err = VoteEvent(
+		map[string]string{
+			VoteActionKey:    "a",
+			VoteRequesterKey: "r",
+			VoteCreatedKey:   "c",
+			VoteStatusKey:    "s",
+		},
+	).Validate(); err.Error() != VoteBadStatusError+"s" {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected or no error: %e", err)
+	}
+
+	if err = VoteEvent(
+		map[string]string{
+			VoteActionKey:    "a",
+			VoteRequesterKey: "r",
+			VoteCreatedKey:   "c",
+			VoteStatusKey:    VoteStatusInProgress,
+			VoteResultKey:    VoteResultFail,
+		},
+	).Validate(); err.Error() != VoteNotFinishedError {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected or no error: %e", err)
+	}
+
+	if err = VoteEvent(
+		map[string]string{
+			VoteActionKey:    "a",
+			VoteRequesterKey: "r",
+			VoteCreatedKey:   "c",
+			VoteStatusKey:    VoteStatusFinalized,
+		},
+	).Validate(); err.Error() != VoteMissingResultError {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected or no error: %e", err)
+	}
+
+	if err = VoteEvent(
+		map[string]string{
+			VoteActionKey:    "a",
+			VoteRequesterKey: "r",
+			VoteCreatedKey:   "c",
+			VoteStatusKey:    VoteStatusFinalized,
+			VoteResultKey:    "r",
+		},
+	).Validate(); err.Error() != VoteBadResultError+"r" {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected or no error: %e", err)
+	}
+
+	if err = VoteEvent(
+		map[string]string{
+			VoteActionKey:    "a",
+			VoteRequesterKey: "r",
+			VoteCreatedKey:   "c",
+			VoteStatusKey:    VoteStatusFinalized,
+			VoteResultKey:    VoteResultFail,
+		},
+	).Validate(); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected or no error: %e", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 321ae32..3ece662 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/bwmarrin/discordgo"
 	"gitlab.com/whom/bingobot/internal/config"
 	"gitlab.com/whom/bingobot/internal/logging"
+	"gitlab.com/whom/bingobot/internal/state"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -44,9 +45,9 @@ func main() {
 }
 
 func startBot() error {
-	session, _ := discordgo.New("Bot " + *Token)
+	state.DiscordSession, _ = discordgo.New("Bot " + *Token)
 
-	err := session.Open()
+	err := state.DiscordSession.Open()
 	if err != nil {
 		Log.Error("could not open discord session", "type", "error", "error", err)
 		return err
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ func startBot() error {
 
 	Log.Info("shutting down gracefully", "type", "shutdown")
 
-	err = session.Close()
+	err = state.DiscordSession.Close()
 	if err != nil {
 		Log.Error("could not close discord session gracefully", "type", "error", "error", err)
 		return err