diff --git a/login.lua b/login.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0f6b9b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/login.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+local location = require "location"
+local command = require "command"
+local room = require "room"
+local race = require "race"
+local lyaml = require "lyaml"
+
+local login = {}
+local loginmt = {}
+
+-- prompt to select a mob as part of the login process.
+function loginmt:selectmob()
+  self.player:ask("By what name do you wish to be known (list for existing characters)? ", function(args)
+    local mobname = args[1]
+    if mobname == "list" then
+      local list = "Your alts:\n"
+      for i, m in pairs(self.player.mobs) do
+        list = list .. m .. "\n"
+      end
+      self.player:send(list)
+      self:selectmob()
+    else
+      for i, m in pairs(self.player.mobs) do
+        if m == mobname then
+          self.player:load(mobname)
+          self.player:send("Welcome back.")
+          location:addmob(self.player.mob.id, room.START_ROOM)
+          command.look(self.player)
+          return
+        end
+      end
+      self.player:load(mobname)
+      if self.player.mob then
+        self.player:send("You do not possess that mob.")
+        self.player.mob = nil
+        return
+      else
+        local racecallback = function(args)
+          if race.list[args[1]] then
+            local race = args[1]
+            self.player:send("Ok. Welcome to luamud.")
+            self.player.mob = mob:new(mobname, race)
+            self.player.mob.isnpc = false
+            table.insert(self.player.mobs, self.player.mob.name)
+            location:addmob(self.player.mob.id, room.START_ROOM)
+            self.player:save()
+            command.look(self.player)
+          elseif args[1] == "help" then
+          else
+            self.player:ask("That's not a valid race. What race are you? ", racecallback)
+          end
+        end
+        self.player:ask("New character. What race are you? ", racecallback)
+      end
+    end
+  end)
+end
+
+-- New account - set a password
+function loginmt:newaccountpassword()
+  self.player:ask("Please enter a password: ", function(args)
+    local p1 = table.concat(args, " ")
+    if p1:len() < 5 then
+      self.player:send("Passwords must be greater than 5 characters in length.")
+      self:newaccountpassword()
+    else
+      self.player:ask("Confirm your password: ", function(args)
+        local p2 = table.concat(args, " ")
+        if p1 == p2 then
+          self.player.password = p1
+          self.player:send("Confirmed!")
+          self.player:save()
+          self:selectmob()
+        else
+          self.player:send("Passwords do not match. Try again.")
+          self:newaccountpassword()
+        end
+      end)
+    end
+  end)
+end
+
+-- prompt the player for a login username and password if the account already
+-- exists. Otherwise,
+function loginmt:prompt()
+  self.player:ask("What is your login username (not in-game character)? ", function(args)
+    self.player.username = args[1]
+    local f = io.open("data/players/" .. self.player.username .. ".yaml", "r")
+    if f == nil then
+      self.player:send("New account.")
+      self:newaccountpassword()
+    else
+      local data = lyaml.load(f:read("*all"))
+      f:close()
+      self.player:ask("Password: ", function(args)
+        local password = args[1]
+        if data["password"] == password then
+          self.player:send("Success!")
+          self.player.password = password
+          self.player.mobs = data["mobs"]
+          self:selectmob()
+        else
+          self.player:send("Login failure.")
+          self.player.client:close()
+        end
+      end)
+    end
+  end)
+end
+
+function login:new(player)
+  local l = {
+    player = player
+  }
+
+  setmetatable(l, loginmt)
+  loginmt.__index = loginmt
+
+  return l
+end
+
+return login
diff --git a/player.lua b/player.lua
index ce2656f..fe598b1 100644
--- a/player.lua
+++ b/player.lua
@@ -1,24 +1,24 @@
 local mob = require "mob"
-local race = require "race"
 local lyaml = require "lyaml"
-local room = require "room"
-local location = require "location"
-local command = require "command"
 local item = require "item"
-local location = require "location"
+local login = require "login"
 
 local player = {}
 local playermt = {}
 
+-- send a message to the player
 function playermt:send(message)
   self.client:send(message .. "\n")
 end
 
+-- send a message to the player, and capture their next input for the provided
+-- callback function.
 function playermt:ask(message, callback)
   self.client:send(message)
   self.callback = callback
 end
 
+-- saves the player and the mob the player is logged in as.
 function playermt:save()
   if self.mob then
     local f = io.open("data/mobs/" .. self.mob.name .. ".yaml", "w")
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ function playermt:save()
   f:close()
 end
 
+-- load a mob.
 function playermt:load(mobname)
   local f = io.open("data/mobs/" .. mobname .. ".yaml", "r")
   local data = lyaml.load(f:read("*all"))
@@ -48,106 +49,12 @@ function playermt:load(mobname)
   item.inv[self.mob.id] = data["inv"]
 end
 
+-- prompt the player.
 function playermt:prompt()
   self.client:send("\n" .. self.mob.hp .. "hp " .. self.mob.mana .. "mana " .. self.mob.mv .. "mv> ")
 end
 
-function playermt:selectmob()
-  self:ask("By what name do you wish to be known (list for existing characters)? ", function(args)
-    local mobname = args[1]
-    if mobname == "list" then
-      local list = "Your alts:\n"
-      for i, m in pairs(self.mobs) do
-        list = list .. m .. "\n"
-      end
-      self:send(list)
-      self:selectmob()
-    else
-      for i, m in pairs(self.mobs) do
-        if m == mobname then
-          self:load(mobname)
-          self:send("Welcome back.")
-          location:addmob(self.mob.id, room.START_ROOM)
-          command.look(self)
-          return
-        end
-      end
-      self:load(mobname)
-      if self.mob then
-        self:send("You do not possess that mob.")
-        self.mob = nil
-        return
-      else
-        local racecallback = function(args)
-          if race.list[args[1]] then
-            local race = args[1]
-            self:send("Ok. Welcome to luamud.")
-            self.mob = mob:new(mobname, race)
-            self.mob.isnpc = false
-            table.insert(self.mobs, self.mob.name)
-            location:addmob(self.mob.id, room.START_ROOM)
-            self:save()
-            command.look(self)
-          elseif args[1] == "help" then
-          else
-            self:ask("That's not a valid race. What race are you? ", racecallback)
-          end
-        end
-        self:ask("New character. What race are you? ", racecallback)
-      end
-    end
-  end)
-end
-
-function playermt:enterpassword()
-  self:ask("Please enter a password: ", function(args)
-    local p1 = table.concat(args, " ")
-    if p1:len() < 5 then
-      self:send("Passwords must be greater than 5 characters in length.")
-      self:enterpassword()
-    else
-      self:ask("Confirm your password: ", function(args)
-        local p2 = table.concat(args, " ")
-        if p1 == p2 then
-          self.password = p1
-          self:send("Confirmed!")
-          self:save()
-          self:selectmob()
-        else
-          self:send("Passwords do not match. Try again.")
-          self:enterpassword()
-        end
-      end)
-    end
-  end)
-end
-
-function playermt:loginprompt()
-  self:ask("What is your login username (not in-game character)? ", function(args)
-    self.username = args[1]
-    local f = io.open("data/players/" .. self.username .. ".yaml", "r")
-    if f == nil then
-      self:send("New account.")
-      self:enterpassword()
-    else
-      local data = lyaml.load(f:read("*all"))
-      f:close()
-      self:ask("Password: ", function(args)
-        local password = args[1]
-        if data["password"] == password then
-          self:send("Success!")
-          self.password = password
-          self.mobs = data["mobs"]
-          self:selectmob()
-        else
-          self:send("Login failure.")
-          self.client:close()
-        end
-      end)
-    end
-  end)
-end
-
+-- create a new player table.
 function player:new(client)
   local p = {
     username = "",
@@ -158,7 +65,8 @@ function player:new(client)
 
   setmetatable(p, playermt)
   playermt.__index = playermt
-  p:loginprompt()
+
+  login:new(p):prompt()
 
   return p
 end