diff --git a/.dockerignore b/.dockerignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d1eec72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.dockerignore
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# Version control
+.git
+.gitignore
+
+# Python
+__pycache__
+*.pyc
+*.pyo
+*.pyd
+*.egg-info
+*.egg
+dist/
+build/
+*.whl
+
+# Virtual environments
+bot-env/
+.venv/
+env/
+
+# IDE
+.vscode/
+.idea/
+*.swp
+*.swo
+
+# OS files
+.DS_Store
+Thumbs.db
+
+# Token (sensitive!)
+.token
+
+# Docker files (avoid recursive builds)
+Dockerfile
+.dockerignore
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab89b6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# ---- Base image ----
+FROM python:3.12-slim
+
+# Set working directory
+WORKDIR /app
+
+# Install system dependencies (if needed by native extensions)
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+    gcc \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# Copy and install Python dependencies
+COPY requirements.txt .
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt
+
+# Copy plugin assets
+COPY plugins/pepe/pepes.txt ./plugins/pepe/pepes.txt
+
+# Copy the rest of the application
+COPY . .
+
+# Create a non-root user for security
+RUN useradd -m -s /bin/bash botuser && chown -R botuser:botuser /app
+USER botuser
+
+# Expose nothing by default (Discord bot doesn't need a public port)
+
+# Run the bot
+CMD ["python", "main.py"]
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c949062..0c1c4d5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1 +1,169 @@
-Dankbot, now even danker!
+# 🐸 Dank Bot
+
+A Discord bot built with [discord.py](https://github.com/Rapptz/discord.py), featuring a plugin-based architecture for extensible functionality.
+
+## Features
+
+- **Plugin System**: Easily add new features by dropping a plugin into the `plugins/` directory
+- **BotChat Plugin**: AI-powered chat responses with configurable prompts
+- **Pepe Plugin**: Classic Pepe meme reactions
+- **Logging**: Full command and message logging via Python's `logging` module
+
+## Current Plugins
+
+| Plugin | Description |
+|--------|-------------|
+| `botchat` | AI chat plugin with prompt templates and censorship support |
+| `pepe` | Pepe meme reaction plugin |
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- [Python 3.12+](https://www.python.org/downloads/)
+- A [Discord Bot Token](https://discord.com/developers/docs/topics/oauth2#bot)
+- A Discord application with the `MESSAGE CONTENT INTENT` enabled
+
+## Quick Start (Docker)
+
+### 1. Create a token file
+
+Create a `.token` file with your Discord bot token:
+
+```bash
+echo "YOUR_DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN_HERE" > .token
+```
+
+### 2. Build and run
+
+```bash
+# Build the Docker image
+docker build -t dank-bot .
+
+# Run the bot
+docker run -d \
+  --name dank-bot \
+  --env DISCORD_TOKEN=$(cat .token) \
+  dank-bot
+```
+
+> **Note:** The bot reads its token from a `.token` file at runtime. Mount it as a volume:
+> ```bash
+> docker run -d \
+>   --name dank-bot \
+>   -v $(pwd)/.token:/app/.token:ro \
+>   dank-bot
+> ```
+
+## Prerequisites (Local)
+
+- [Python 3.12+](https://www.python.org/downloads/)
+- [pip](https://pip.pypa.io/)
+
+## Local Setup
+
+### 1. Create a token file
+
+Create a `.token` file with your Discord bot token:
+
+```bash
+echo "YOUR_DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN_HERE" > .token
+```
+
+### 2. Install dependencies
+
+```bash
+pip install -r requirements.txt
+```
+
+### 3. Run the bot
+
+```bash
+python main.py
+```
+
+## Project Structure
+
+```
+dank-bot-py/
+├── main.py              # Bot entry point
+├── requirements.txt     # Python dependencies
+├── start.sh             # Quick start script
+├── .token               # Discord bot token (DO NOT COMMIT)
+├── .gitignore
+├── .dockerignore
+├── Dockerfile
+├── README.md
+└── plugins/
+    ├── botchat/         # AI chat plugin
+    │   ├── plugin.py
+    │   ├── settings.yaml
+    │   └── prompts/     # Prompt templates
+    │       ├── default.txt
+    │       ├── default-censored.txt
+    │       ├── summarize.txt
+    │       └── summarize-search.txt
+    └── pepe/            # Pepe meme plugin
+        ├── plugin.py
+        └── pepes.txt
+```
+
+## Adding a New Plugin
+
+1. Create a new directory under `plugins/`
+2. Add a `plugin.py` file with your bot extension code
+3. The bot will auto-discover and load it on startup
+
+## Commands
+
+| Command | Description |
+|---------|-------------|
+| `!help` | List available commands |
+| `!chat <message>` | Send a message to the AI chat (via botchat plugin) |
+| `!pepe` | Trigger a Pepe meme reaction |
+
+## Configuration
+
+- **BotChat**: Edit `plugins/botchat/settings.yaml` for plugin settings
+- **Prompts**: Modify files in `plugins/botchat/prompts/` to customize AI behavior
+- **Token**: Store in `.token` (never commit this file)
+
+## Docker
+
+### Build
+
+```bash
+docker build -t dank-bot .
+```
+
+### Run
+
+```bash
+docker run -d \
+  --name dank-bot \
+  --restart unless-stopped \
+  -v $(pwd)/.token:/app/.token:ro \
+  dank-bot
+```
+
+### Logs
+
+```bash
+docker logs -f dank-bot
+```
+
+### Stop
+
+```bash
+docker stop dank-bot
+```
+
+## Environment Variables
+
+| Variable | Description | Default |
+|----------|-------------|---------|
+| `LOG_LEVEL` | Logging verbosity | `INFO` |
+
+## Security
+
+- **Never commit your `.token` file** — it's included in `.gitignore` for this reason
+- The Docker image runs as a non-root user (`botuser`) for added security
+- Use Docker volume mounts for sensitive files instead of baking them into the image