gnus fails authenticating, fails to get get mail

[ken]

Relevant part of ~/.emacs:

(setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it)
(setq smtpmail-smtp-server "mail.server.net")
(require 'starttls)
(setq smtpmail-starttls-credentials
      '(("mail.server.net" 25 "userid" "password")))
(setq user-full-name "name")
(setq smtpmail-debug-info t)
(setq smtpmail-debug-verb t)


Doing M-x gnus gives this in *Messages*:

----------------------------------
Reading /home/ken/.newsrc.eld...
Opening nntp server on news...
Denied server

Reading active file from private via nnml...
Opening nnml server on private...

nnml: Reading incoming mail from imap...
imap: Connecting to mail.server.net...
imap: Opening SSL connection with `openssl s_client -ssl3 -connect
%s:%p'...done
Waiting for response from mail.server.net...done
imap: Connecting to mail.server.net...done
imap: Plaintext authentication...
nnml: Reading incoming mail (no new mail)...done
Reading active file from private via nnml...done
Opening nntp server on news...
Denied server

Checking new news...
Opening nndraft server...

Checking new news...done
----------------------------------

I'm certain that the protocols specified are correct, including TLS
(because I've been using them with Mozilla for months).

Since TLS is specified, gnus shouldn't be attempting to authenticate
plaintext.

Though *Messages* says it read incoming mail, but that there isn't any,
I know for certain that there's six unread emails there.

What is the nndraft server?