diff --git a/packages/backend/src/index.ts b/packages/backend/src/index.ts
index 05d5d60..22c15c1 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/index.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import dockerRouter from "./routes/docker.js";
 import editorRouter from "./routes/editor.js";
 import terminalRouter from "./routes/terminal.js";
 import buildRouter from "./routes/build.js";
+import serverRouter from "./routes/server.js";
 import { attachWebSocket, createTerminalSession } from "./services/terminal.service.js";
 import { attachLspWebSocket } from "./services/lsp.service.js";
 
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ app.use("/api/docker", dockerRouter);
 app.use("/api/editor", editorRouter);
 app.use("/api/terminal", terminalRouter);
 app.use("/api/build", buildRouter);
+app.use("/api/server", serverRouter);
 
 const frontendDist = path.resolve(__dirname, "../../frontend/dist");
 app.use(express.static(frontendDist));
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/routes/server.ts b/packages/backend/src/routes/server.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ac4188
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/backend/src/routes/server.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+import { Router } from "express";
+import {
+  startServer,
+  stopServer,
+  restartServer,
+  getServerStatus,
+  generateServerConfig,
+  seedDatabase,
+} from "../services/server.service.js";
+
+const router = Router();
+
+router.get("/status", async (_req, res) => {
+  try {
+    const status = await getServerStatus();
+    res.json(status);
+  } catch (err: any) {
+    res.status(500).json({ error: err.message });
+  }
+});
+
+router.post("/start", async (_req, res) => {
+  try {
+    await startServer();
+    res.json({ ok: true });
+  } catch (err: any) {
+    res.status(500).json({ error: err.message });
+  }
+});
+
+router.post("/stop", async (_req, res) => {
+  try {
+    await stopServer();
+    res.json({ ok: true });
+  } catch (err: any) {
+    res.status(500).json({ error: err.message });
+  }
+});
+
+router.post("/restart", async (_req, res) => {
+  try {
+    await restartServer();
+    res.json({ ok: true });
+  } catch (err: any) {
+    res.status(500).json({ error: err.message });
+  }
+});
+
+router.post("/generate-config", async (_req, res) => {
+  try {
+    await generateServerConfig();
+    res.json({ ok: true });
+  } catch (err: any) {
+    res.status(500).json({ error: err.message });
+  }
+});
+
+router.post("/seed-db", async (req, res) => {
+  const { cdKey, playerName } = req.body;
+  if (!cdKey || !playerName)
+    return res.status(400).json({ error: "cdKey and playerName required" });
+  try {
+    await seedDatabase(cdKey, playerName);
+    res.json({ ok: true });
+  } catch (err: any) {
+    res.status(500).json({ error: err.message });
+  }
+});
+
+export default router;
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/services/server.service.ts b/packages/backend/src/services/server.service.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..892fa7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/backend/src/services/server.service.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,212 @@
+import fs from "fs/promises";
+import path from "path";
+import { getWorkspacePath } from "./workspace.service.js";
+import { getDockerClient } from "./docker.service.js";
+import { broadcast } from "./ws.service.js";
+import { generateServerEnv } from "../config/env-template.js";
+
+const NWSERVER_NAME = "layonara-nwserver";
+const MARIADB_NAME = "layonara-mariadb";
+const NETWORK_NAME = "layonara-forge";
+
+export async function generateServerConfig(): Promise<void> {
+  const configDir = path.join(getWorkspacePath(), "config");
+  const envContent = generateServerEnv();
+  await fs.writeFile(path.join(configDir, ".env"), envContent);
+}
+
+export async function getServerStatus(): Promise<{ nwserver: string; mariadb: string }> {
+  const docker = getDockerClient();
+  const containers = await docker.listContainers({ all: true });
+
+  const nwserver = containers.find((c) =>
+    c.Names.some((n) => n.includes(NWSERVER_NAME)),
+  );
+  const mariadb = containers.find((c) =>
+    c.Names.some((n) => n.includes(MARIADB_NAME)),
+  );
+
+  return {
+    nwserver: nwserver?.State || "not created",
+    mariadb: mariadb?.State || "not created",
+  };
+}
+
+export async function startServer(): Promise<void> {
+  broadcast("docker", "server:starting", {});
+  const docker = getDockerClient();
+
+  try {
+    await docker.getNetwork(NETWORK_NAME).inspect();
+  } catch {
+    await docker.createNetwork({ Name: NETWORK_NAME });
+  }
+
+  const envPath = path.join(getWorkspacePath(), "config", ".env");
+  try {
+    await fs.access(envPath);
+  } catch {
+    await generateServerConfig();
+  }
+
+  const envContent = await fs.readFile(envPath, "utf-8");
+  const env = envContent
+    .split("\n")
+    .filter((l) => l.trim() && !l.startsWith("#"))
+    .map((l) => l.trim());
+
+  await startMariaDB(docker, env);
+  await waitForContainer(docker, MARIADB_NAME, 30000);
+  await startNWServer(docker, env);
+
+  broadcast("docker", "server:started", {});
+}
+
+async function startMariaDB(docker: ReturnType<typeof getDockerClient>, env: string[]): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    const existing = docker.getContainer(MARIADB_NAME);
+    const info = await existing.inspect();
+    if (info.State.Running) return;
+    await existing.start();
+    return;
+  } catch {
+    /* container doesn't exist */
+  }
+
+  const mysqlPassword =
+    env.find((e) => e.startsWith("MYSQL_PASSWORD="))?.split("=")[1] || "forge";
+  const mysqlRootPassword =
+    env.find((e) => e.startsWith("MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD="))?.split("=")[1] || "forge";
+
+  const container = await docker.createContainer({
+    Image: "mariadb:10.11",
+    name: MARIADB_NAME,
+    Env: [
+      `MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=${mysqlRootPassword}`,
+      `MYSQL_DATABASE=nwn`,
+      `MYSQL_USER=nwn`,
+      `MYSQL_PASSWORD=${mysqlPassword}`,
+    ],
+    HostConfig: {
+      NetworkMode: NETWORK_NAME,
+      RestartPolicy: { Name: "unless-stopped" },
+    },
+    Healthcheck: {
+      Test: ["CMD", "healthcheck.sh", "--connect", "--innodb_initialized"],
+      Interval: 10000000000,
+      Timeout: 5000000000,
+      Retries: 5,
+    },
+  });
+  await container.start();
+}
+
+async function startNWServer(docker: ReturnType<typeof getDockerClient>, env: string[]): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    const existing = docker.getContainer(NWSERVER_NAME);
+    const info = await existing.inspect();
+    if (info.State.Running) return;
+    await existing.start();
+    return;
+  } catch {
+    /* container doesn't exist */
+  }
+
+  const workspacePath = getWorkspacePath();
+  const container = await docker.createContainer({
+    Image: "ghcr.io/plenarius/unified:latest",
+    name: NWSERVER_NAME,
+    Env: env,
+    ExposedPorts: { "5121/udp": {}, "5121/tcp": {} },
+    HostConfig: {
+      NetworkMode: NETWORK_NAME,
+      PortBindings: {
+        "5121/udp": [{ HostPort: "5121" }],
+        "5121/tcp": [{ HostPort: "5121" }],
+      },
+      Binds: [
+        `${workspacePath}/server/hak:/nwn/home/hak:ro`,
+        `${workspacePath}/server/tlk:/nwn/home/tlk:ro`,
+        `${workspacePath}/server/override:/nwn/home/override:ro`,
+        `${workspacePath}/server/portraits:/nwn/home/portraits:ro`,
+        `${workspacePath}/server/modules:/nwn/home/modules`,
+        `${workspacePath}/server/servervault:/nwn/home/servervault`,
+        `${workspacePath}/server/database:/nwn/home/database`,
+        `${workspacePath}/server/development:/nwn/home/development`,
+        `${workspacePath}/logs:/nwn/run/logs.0`,
+      ],
+      RestartPolicy: { Name: "unless-stopped" },
+    },
+    Tty: true,
+    OpenStdin: true,
+  });
+  await container.start();
+}
+
+async function waitForContainer(
+  docker: ReturnType<typeof getDockerClient>,
+  name: string,
+  timeoutMs: number,
+): Promise<void> {
+  const start = Date.now();
+  while (Date.now() - start < timeoutMs) {
+    try {
+      const container = docker.getContainer(name);
+      const info = await container.inspect();
+      if (info.State.Running) return;
+    } catch {
+      /* not ready yet */
+    }
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 2000));
+  }
+}
+
+export async function stopServer(): Promise<void> {
+  broadcast("docker", "server:stopping", {});
+  const docker = getDockerClient();
+
+  try {
+    await docker.getContainer(NWSERVER_NAME).stop();
+  } catch {
+    /* already stopped or doesn't exist */
+  }
+  try {
+    await docker.getContainer(MARIADB_NAME).stop();
+  } catch {
+    /* already stopped or doesn't exist */
+  }
+
+  broadcast("docker", "server:stopped", {});
+}
+
+export async function restartServer(): Promise<void> {
+  await stopServer();
+  await startServer();
+}
+
+export async function seedDatabase(cdKey: string, playerName: string): Promise<void> {
+  const docker = getDockerClient();
+  const container = docker.getContainer(MARIADB_NAME);
+
+  const exec = await container.exec({
+    Cmd: [
+      "bash",
+      "-c",
+      `mysql -u root -p$MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD nwn < /app/db/schema.sql 2>&1 || true`,
+    ],
+    AttachStdout: true,
+    AttachStderr: true,
+  });
+  await exec.start({});
+
+  const dmExec = await container.exec({
+    Cmd: [
+      "bash",
+      "-c",
+      `mysql -u root -p$MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD nwn -e "INSERT IGNORE INTO dms (cdkey, playername, role) VALUES ('${cdKey}', '${playerName}', 1);" 2>&1`,
+    ],
+    AttachStdout: true,
+    AttachStderr: true,
+  });
+  await dmExec.start({});
+}