diff --git a/chord/topology.go b/chord/topology.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41684c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chord/topology.go
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+package chord
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"net/netip"
+)
+
+// Node represents a node's topological relations within a Chord network.
+type Node struct {
+	// self is the node's own address.
+	self Peer
+	// pred is the node's predecessor.
+	// If not valid, the predecessor is not currently known.
+	pred Peer
+	// succ is the node's immediate successors for replication. Its capacity
+	// is the replication factor for the network.
+	// There is always at least one successor. If the number of nodes in the
+	// network is not larger than the replication factor, then this node will
+	// appear in its own successor list.
+	succ []Peer
+	// fingers is the node's finger table.
+	fingers []Peer
+}
+
+func (n *Node) Successor() Peer {
+	return n.succ[0]
+}
+
+// IsLocal reports whether this node owns the given key.
+func (n *Node) IsLocal(key string) bool {
+	id := keyID(key)
+	return contains(n.self.id, n.Successor().id, id)
+}
+
+// Peer is the ID and address of a node.
+type Peer struct {
+	id   ID
+	addr netip.AddrPort
+}
+
+// Address constructs a peer from an address and port.
+func Address(addr netip.AddrPort) Peer {
+	return Peer{id: addrID(addr), addr: addr}
+}
+
+// IsValid reports whether the peer was created using [Address] with an address
+// which was valid.
+func (p Peer) IsValid() bool { return p.addr.IsValid() && p.addr.Port() != 0 }
+
+// Create creates a new Chord network using the given address as the initial node.
+func Create(addr netip.AddrPort) (*Node, error) {
+	if !addr.IsValid() {
+		return nil, errors.New("chord: cannot create with invalid address")
+	}
+	self := Address(addr)
+	n := &Node{
+		self:    self,
+		succ:    []Peer{self}[:1:1], // extra cautious about capacity
+		fingers: make([]Peer, len(ID{})*8),
+	}
+	return n, nil
+}