diff --git a/src/sidebar/character.ts b/src/sidebar/character.ts
index 50e7592..e8e9e6d 100644
--- a/src/sidebar/character.ts
+++ b/src/sidebar/character.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export default async function renderIronVaultCharacter(
   try {
     const campaign = plugin.campaignManager.lastActiveCampaign();
     if (!campaign) {
-      render(html`<p>No active campaign</p>`, containerEl);
+      render(html`<p>No active campaign.</p>`, containerEl);
       return;
     }
     const context = currentActiveCharacterForCampaign(
diff --git a/src/sidebar/sidebar-block.ts b/src/sidebar/sidebar-block.ts
index 83a1c61..6db560a 100644
--- a/src/sidebar/sidebar-block.ts
+++ b/src/sidebar/sidebar-block.ts
@@ -4,12 +4,12 @@ import { CampaignManager } from "campaigns/manager";
 import { UnsubscribeFunction } from "emittery";
 import IronVaultPlugin from "index";
 import { html, render } from "lit-html";
+import { rootLogger } from "logger";
 import { Component, MarkdownRenderChild, Vault } from "obsidian";
 import renderIronVaultMoves from "./moves";
 import renderIronVaultOracles from "./oracles";
 
-// These are intended for folks who want to get the stuff that's usualy in the
-// sidebar, but embedded in a note directly.
+const logger = rootLogger.getLogger("sidebar-block");
 
 export default function registerSidebarBlocks(plugin: IronVaultPlugin) {
   plugin.registerMarkdownCodeBlockProcessor(
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ abstract class BaseCampaignSource extends Component {
   }
 
   protected update() {
+    logger.trace("BaseCampaignSource: triggering update callback");
     return this.#onUpdate && this.#onUpdate();
   }
 }
@@ -54,12 +55,18 @@ export class ActiveCampaignWatch extends BaseCampaignSource {
   }
 
   onload() {
+    logger.trace("ActiveCampaignWatch.onload: regstering watch");
     this.registerEvent(
       this.campaignManager.on("active-campaign-changed", () => this.update()),
     );
 
     if (this.campaignManager.lastActiveCampaign()) {
+      logger.trace(
+        "ActiveCampaignWatch.onload: found last active campaign; triggering update",
+      );
       setTimeout(() => this.update());
+    } else {
+      logger.trace("ActiveCampaignWatch.onload: no active campaign");
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/sidebar/sidebar-view.ts b/src/sidebar/sidebar-view.ts
index d9d1f29..dc3097f 100644
--- a/src/sidebar/sidebar-view.ts
+++ b/src/sidebar/sidebar-view.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { html, render } from "lit-html";
 import { debounce, ItemView, WorkspaceLeaf } from "obsidian";
 
 import IronVaultPlugin from "index";
+import { rootLogger } from "logger";
 import renderIronVaultCharacter from "./character";
 import renderIronVaultMoves from "./moves";
 import renderIronVaultOracles from "./oracles";
@@ -9,6 +10,8 @@ import { ActiveCampaignWatch } from "./sidebar-block";
 
 export const SIDEBAR_VIEW_TYPE = "iron-vault-sidebar-view";
 
+const logger = rootLogger.getLogger("sidebar-view");
+
 export class SidebarView extends ItemView {
   plugin: IronVaultPlugin;
   campaignSource: ActiveCampaignWatch;
@@ -16,6 +19,7 @@ export class SidebarView extends ItemView {
   constructor(leaf: WorkspaceLeaf, plugin: IronVaultPlugin) {
     super(leaf);
     this.plugin = plugin;
+    this.renderCharacter = debounce(this.renderCharacter.bind(this), 100, true);
     this.campaignSource = this.addChild(
       new ActiveCampaignWatch(plugin.campaignManager),
     ).onUpdate(() => this.refresh());
@@ -56,34 +60,30 @@ export class SidebarView extends ItemView {
     `;
     render(tpl, this.contentEl);
 
-    // We separate these out so they can do their own dynamic state stuff.
-    const renderCharacter = debounce(() => this.renderCharacter(), 100, true);
-
-    this.registerEvent(
-      this.plugin.campaignManager.on("active-campaign-changed", () => {
-        renderCharacter();
-      }),
-    );
-
     this.registerEvent(
       this.plugin.campaignManager.on(
         "active-campaign-settings-changed",
         ({ key }) => {
           if (key === "activeCharacter") {
-            renderCharacter();
+            this.renderCharacter();
           }
         },
       ),
     );
 
-    this.registerEvent(this.plugin.characters.on("changed", renderCharacter));
+    this.registerEvent(
+      // TODO: probably this should be limited to just the current character, although
+      // how often would we change the non-active character?
+      this.plugin.characters.on("changed", this.renderCharacter),
+    );
 
-    this.refresh();
+    this.refresh(true);
   }
 
-  refresh() {
+  refresh(initial: boolean = false) {
     const dataContext = this.campaignSource.campaignContext;
-    if (dataContext) {
+    if (!initial && dataContext) {
+      logger.trace("SidebarView.refresh: refreshing from context");
       renderIronVaultOracles(
         this.contentEl.querySelector(".content.oracle-tab")!,
         this.plugin,
@@ -94,8 +94,21 @@ export class SidebarView extends ItemView {
         this.plugin,
         dataContext,
       );
+      this.renderCharacter();
     } else {
-      // I guess render something else?
+      logger.trace("SidebarView.refresh: no active campaign");
+      render(
+        html`No active campaign.`,
+        this.contentEl.querySelector<HTMLElement>(".content.oracle-tab")!,
+      );
+      render(
+        html`No active campaign.`,
+        this.contentEl.querySelector<HTMLElement>(".content.move-tab")!,
+      );
+      render(
+        html`No active campaign.`,
+        this.contentEl.querySelector<HTMLElement>(".content.character-tab")!,
+      );
     }
   }
 
@@ -104,6 +117,7 @@ export class SidebarView extends ItemView {
   }
 
   renderCharacter() {
+    logger.trace("SidebarView.renderCharacter: render character");
     renderIronVaultCharacter(
       this.contentEl.querySelector(".content.character-tab")!,
       this.plugin,