diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 499ca79..b32271a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
-venv
-__pycache__/
\ No newline at end of file
+venv/
+env/
+__pycache__/
+bot.db
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/main.py b/main.py
index 2a7d0c5..a261e79 100644
--- a/main.py
+++ b/main.py
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
-import sys
 from os import listdir
 from discord.ext.commands import Bot
-from src.utils.config import build_config
+from configparser import ConfigParser
+from peewee import SqliteDatabase
 
 # read config at configured location \\ default to 'config.ini'
-config = build_config()
+config = ConfigParser()
+with open('config.ini', 'r') as configfile:
+    config.read_file(configfile)
+
+# init db
+db = SqliteDatabase(config['DATABASE']['path'])
+db.connect()
 
 # spawn discord bot instance
 # init token from config
diff --git a/src/database/migrations/__init__.py b/src/database/migrations/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/src/database/migrations/core.py b/src/database/migrations/core.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8096dfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/database/migrations/core.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+from src.database.models import Role, User, UserRole
+from main import db
+
+import logging
+
+logger = logging.getLogger('database')
+
+def create_tables():
+    logger.info('Creating core database tables if necessary.')
+    db.create_tables([User, Role, UserRole])
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/database/models.py b/src/database/models.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..caba828
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/database/models.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+from peewee import Model, CharField, ForeignKeyField
+from main import config, db
+
+class BaseModel(Model):
+    class Meta:
+        database = db
+
+class User(BaseModel):
+    uuid = CharField(unique=True)
+
+class Role(BaseModel):
+    name = CharField()
+
+class UserRole(BaseModel):
+    user = ForeignKeyField(User, User.uuid)
+    role = ForeignKeyField(Role, Role.name)
+
diff --git a/src/ext/__init__.py b/src/ext/__init__.py
index e69de29..cae5782 100644
--- a/src/ext/__init__.py
+++ b/src/ext/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+def setup(_):
+    pass
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/ext/events.py b/src/ext/events.py
index 0434217..5419e8f 100644
--- a/src/ext/events.py
+++ b/src/ext/events.py
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 import discord
 from discord.ext import commands
-from peewee import *
+import logging
+
+import src.database.migrations.core
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
 
 class Events(commands.Cog):
     def __init__(self, bot):
@@ -15,7 +20,9 @@ class Events(commands.Cog):
         - activity
         - presence
         """
-        print(f"[INFO]: Startup complete | {self.bot.user}")
+        logger.info("Running database startup migrations.")
+        src.database.migrations.core.create_tables()
+        logger.info(f"Startup complete | {self.bot.user}")
 
 def setup(bot):
     bot.add_cog(Events(bot))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/ext/inventory.py b/src/ext/inventory.py
index 6f682b9..0e2d80e 100644
--- a/src/ext/inventory.py
+++ b/src/ext/inventory.py
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 from discord.ext import commands
-from src.utils.config import build_config
-
+from main import config
 
 class Inventory(commands.Cog):
     def __init__(self, bot):
         self.bot = bot
-        self.config = build_config()
+        # self.config = config
 
     @commands.group()
     @commands.guild_only()
@@ -31,7 +30,7 @@ class Inventory(commands.Cog):
 
     @inventory.command(name="use")
     @commands.guild_only()
-    async def inventory_use(self, ctx, *, ):
+    async def inventory_use(self, ctx, **kwargs):
         """
         Use an item in user's inventory
 
@@ -40,4 +39,5 @@ class Inventory(commands.Cog):
 
         pass
 
-
+def setup(bot):
+    bot.add_cog(Inventory(bot))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/utils/config.py b/src/utils/config.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 47afc4f..0000000
--- a/src/utils/config.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-from os import getenv
-
-from configparser import ConfigParser
-
-def build_config():
-    config_path = getenv("AKWAH_CONFIG_PATH")
-    if config_path == None:
-        config_path = "config.ini"
-
-    config = ConfigParser()
-    config.read_file(open(config_path))
-    return config
-