diff --git a/src/events/character/create.ts b/src/events/character/create.ts
index 8e5a909..c5060f7 100644
--- a/src/events/character/create.ts
+++ b/src/events/character/create.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { ZodError } from 'zod'
+import { ZodError, z } from 'zod'
 
 import { BaseEvent } from '#application/base/baseEvent'
 import { ZCharacterCreate } from '#application/zodTypes'
@@ -8,65 +8,77 @@ import CharacterTypeRepository from '#repositories/characterTypeRepository'
 import MapRepository from '#repositories/mapRepository'
 import UserRepository from '#repositories/userRepository'
 
+const MAX_CHARACTERS = 4
+
 export default class CharacterCreateEvent extends BaseEvent {
+  private readonly userRepository: UserRepository = new UserRepository()
+  private readonly characterRepository: CharacterRepository = new CharacterRepository()
+  private readonly characterTypeRepository: CharacterTypeRepository = new CharacterTypeRepository()
+  private readonly mapRepository: MapRepository = new MapRepository()
+
   public listen(): void {
     this.socket.on('character:create', this.handleEvent.bind(this))
   }
 
-  private async handleEvent(data: any): Promise<any> {
-    // zod validate
+  private async handleEvent(data: z.infer<typeof ZCharacterCreate>, callback: (success: boolean) => void): Promise<void> {
     try {
-      data = ZCharacterCreate.parse(data)
-
-      const userRepository = new UserRepository()
-      const characterRepository = new CharacterRepository()
-      const characterTypeRepository = new CharacterTypeRepository()
-      const mapRepository = new MapRepository()
-
-      const user = await userRepository.getById(this.socket.userId!)
-
-      if (!user) {
-        return this.socket.emit('notification', { title: 'Error', message: 'You are not logged in' })
-      }
-
-      // Check if character name already exists
-      const characterExists = await characterRepository.getByName(data.name)
-
-      if (characterExists) {
-        return this.socket.emit('notification', { title: 'Error', message: 'Character name already exists' })
-      }
-
-      let characters: Character[] = await characterRepository.getByUserId(user.getId())
-
-      if (characters.length >= 4) {
-        return this.socket.emit('notification', { title: 'Error', message: 'You can only create 4 characters' })
-      }
-
-      // @TODO: Change to default location
-      const map = await mapRepository.getFirst()
-
-      // @TODO: Change to selected character type
-      const characterType = await characterTypeRepository.getFirst()
-
-      const newCharacter = new Character()
-      await newCharacter.setName(data.name).setUser(user).setMap(map!).setCharacterType(characterType).save()
-
-      if (!newCharacter) {
-        return this.socket.emit('notification', { title: 'Error', message: 'Failed to create character. Please try again (later).' })
-      }
-
-      characters = [...characters, newCharacter]
-
-      this.socket.emit('character:create:success')
-      this.socket.emit('character:list', characters)
-
-      this.logger.info('character:create success')
-    } catch (error: any) {
-      this.logger.error(`character:create error: ${error.message}`)
-      if (error instanceof ZodError) {
-        return this.socket.emit('notification', { title: 'Error', message: error.issues[0]!.message })
-      }
-      return this.socket.emit('notification', { title: 'Error', message: 'Could not create character. Please try again (later).' })
+      const validatedData = ZCharacterCreate.parse(data)
+      await this.createCharacter(validatedData)
+      callback(true)
+    } catch (error: unknown) {
+      this.returnError(error)
+      callback(false)
     }
   }
+
+  private async createCharacter(data: z.infer<typeof ZCharacterCreate>): Promise<void> {
+    const user = await this.userRepository.getById(this.socket.userId!)
+    if (!user) {
+      throw new Error('You are not logged in')
+    }
+
+    const characterExists = await this.characterRepository.getByName(data.name)
+    if (characterExists) {
+      throw new Error('Character name already exists')
+    }
+
+    let characters = await this.characterRepository.getByUserId(user.getId())
+    if (characters.length >= MAX_CHARACTERS) {
+      throw new Error(`You can only create ${MAX_CHARACTERS} characters`)
+    }
+
+    const map = await this.mapRepository.getFirst()
+    if (!map) {
+      throw new Error('No default map found')
+    }
+
+    const characterType = await this.characterTypeRepository.getFirst()
+    if (!characterType) {
+      throw new Error('No character type found')
+    }
+
+    const newCharacter = new Character()
+    await newCharacter.setName(data.name).setUser(user).setMap(map).setCharacterType(characterType).save()
+    characters = await this.characterRepository.getByUserId(user.getId())
+
+    this.socket.emit('character:list', characters)
+    this.logger.info('character:create success')
+  }
+
+  private returnError(error: unknown): void {
+    this.logger.error(`character:create error: ${error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Unknown error'}`)
+
+    let errorMessage = 'Could not create character. Please try again later.'
+
+    if (error instanceof ZodError) {
+      errorMessage = error.issues[0]?.message || errorMessage
+    } else if (error instanceof Error) {
+      errorMessage = error.message
+    }
+
+    this.socket.emit('notification', {
+      title: 'Error',
+      message: errorMessage
+    })
+  }
 }