diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/ezgame/server/DictionaryService.java b/src/java/com/threerings/ezgame/server/DictionaryService.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..528755f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/ezgame/server/DictionaryService.java
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+//
+// $Id$
+//
+// Vilya library - tools for developing networked games
+// Copyright (C) 2002-2006 Three Rings Design, Inc., All Rights Reserved
+// http://www.threerings.net/code/vilya/
+//
+// This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+// under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published
+// by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+// Lesser General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+// License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
+// Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
+
+package com.threerings.ezgame.server;
+
+import com.samskivert.util.Invoker;
+import com.samskivert.util.ResultListener;
+
+import com.threerings.crowd.server.CrowdServer;
+
+import com.threerings.presents.client.InvocationService;
+
+import java.lang.reflect.Array;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Random;
+import static com.threerings.ezgame.server.Log.log;
+
+/**
+ * Manages loading and querying word dictionaries in multiple languages.
+ *
+ * NOTE: the service supports lazy loading of language files, but does not
+ * _unload_ them from memory, leading to increasing memory usage. 
+ */
+public class DictionaryService
+{
+    /**
+     * Creates the singleton instance of the dictionary service.
+     */
+    public static void init ()
+    {
+        _singleton = new DictionaryService ();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get an instance of the dictionary service.
+     */
+    public static DictionaryService getInstance ()
+    {
+        return _singleton;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Protected constructor.
+     */
+    protected DictionaryService () 
+    {
+        // TODO: set up file paths here
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns true if the language is known to be supported by the
+     * dictionary service (would it be better to return a whole list
+     * of supported languages instead?)
+     */
+    public void isLanguageSupported (
+        final String locale, final InvocationService.ResultListener listener)
+    {
+        // TODO: once we have file paths set up, change this to match
+        // against dictionary files
+        listener.requestProcessed (locale.toLowerCase().startsWith("en"));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Retrieves a set of letters from a language definition file,
+     * and returns a random sampling of /count/ elements.
+     */
+    public void getLetterSet (
+        final String locale, final int count, final InvocationService.ResultListener listener)
+    {
+        // Create a new unit of work
+        Invoker.Unit work = new Invoker.Unit ("DictionaryService.getLetterSet") {
+            public boolean invoke ()
+            {
+                if (loadLanguageFile (locale))
+                {
+                    // TODO: actual logic will go here
+                    
+                    Random r = new Random ();
+                    char[] chars = new char[count];
+                    for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
+                    {
+                        int c = r.nextInt (24) + 65;
+                        chars[i] = (char) (c);
+                    }
+                    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder ();
+                    for (char c : chars)
+                    {
+                        sb.append (c);
+                        sb.append (',');
+                    }
+                    sb.deleteCharAt (sb.length() - 1);
+                        
+                    listener.requestProcessed (sb.toString());
+                }
+                return true;
+            }
+        };
+
+        // Do the work!
+        CrowdServer.invoker.postUnit (work);    
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Checks if the specified word exists in the given language
+     */
+    public void checkWord (
+        final String locale, final String word, final InvocationService.ResultListener listener)
+    {
+        // Create a new unit of work
+        Invoker.Unit work = new Invoker.Unit ("DictionaryService.checkWord") {
+            public boolean invoke ()
+            {
+                if (loadLanguageFile (locale))
+                {
+                    // TODO: actual logic
+                    listener.requestProcessed (true);
+                }
+                return true;
+            }
+        };
+
+        // ...and off we go.
+        CrowdServer.invoker.postUnit (work);    
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Loads the language file, if necessary
+     */
+    public boolean loadLanguageFile (String locale)
+    {
+        // this is boring :)
+        try {
+            Thread.sleep (500);
+        } catch (InterruptedException e) { }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+
+
+    // PRIVATE VARIABLES
+
+    /** Singleton instance pointer */
+    private static DictionaryService _singleton;
+
+}
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/ezgame/server/EZGameManager.java b/src/java/com/threerings/ezgame/server/EZGameManager.java
index 6878cd4c..4346329d 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/ezgame/server/EZGameManager.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/ezgame/server/EZGameManager.java
@@ -130,9 +130,8 @@ public class EZGameManager extends GameManager
         InvocationService.ResultListener listener)
         throws InvocationException
     {
-        // TODO: real logic here :)
-        String letters = "A,B,C";
-        listener.requestProcessed(letters);
+        DictionaryService dictionary = getDictionaryService ();
+        dictionary.getLetterSet (locale, count, listener);
     }
     
     // from EZGameProvider
@@ -141,10 +140,24 @@ public class EZGameManager extends GameManager
         InvocationService.ResultListener listener)
         throws InvocationException
     {
-        // TODO: real logic here :)
-        listener.requestProcessed (true);
+        DictionaryService dictionary = getDictionaryService ();
+        dictionary.checkWord (locale, word, listener);
     }  
-    
+
+    /**
+     * Find the dictionary manager
+     */
+    protected DictionaryService getDictionaryService ()
+        throws InvocationException
+    {
+        DictionaryService dictionary = DictionaryService.getInstance ();
+        if (dictionary == null) {
+            log.warning("DictionaryService not initialized.");
+            throw new InvocationException(INTERNAL_ERROR);
+        }
+        return dictionary;
+    }
+
     // from EZGameProvider
     public void addToCollection (
         ClientObject caller, String collName, byte[][] data,