The city now known as Westcheap was originally established as Western Cheapside, a modest and largely forgettable trading post situated in the mundane shadow of the powerful Herthe Gateway. Its founding date remains unknown, lost to time before the pivotal events that would transform its very existence. For centuries, it served as little more than a quiet adjunct to the larger portal.

History violently diverged on June 20, 1248, when the Dragonbone Vanguard undertook a drastic measure to stem a demonic tide emanating from the Herthe Gateway. They destroyed the corrupted portal in a cataclysmic event. This explosion not only leveled the existing infrastructure but also carved a massive crater into the coastline, fundamentally reshaping the landscape.

Critically, the bedrock of this new crater was saturated with raw chaotic magic. This residual energy, instead of poisoning the land, acted as a hallucinogenic muse, twisting the laws of physics and perception within its bounds. In the years immediately following this devastation, the location transformed into an unlikely sanctuary for the Unwanted of Coia.

The unique magical atmosphere attracted a diverse array of individuals, including bards, painters, and failed wizards seeking inspiration or refuge. A significant population of Tieflings, displaced by the infamous Chicken Shit incident at Nader's Apple Farm, also found their way to this emerging haven. They squatted amidst the smoking ruins, beginning the construction of a truly unique settlement.

This new community, now informally known as Westcheap, rapidly grew into a vertical shantytown. It was a chaotic masterpiece of colorful canvas, scavenged wood, and magically floating debris, held together by ingenuity and the strange energies of the land. Rents were nonexistent, as the initial explosion had caused the local law enforcement to flee, leaving a complete power vacuum.

This void was quickly filled not by traditional authorities but by the very artists and philosophers who made Westcheap their home. The fledgling city quickly established a symbiotic relationship with the nearby Gilded Commons. While the Commons provided essential food through agrarian communalism, Westcheap offered culture, illicit goods, and unique magical services.

However, Westcheap's existence remains precarious. Its physical foundations are inherently unstable, metaphorically (and sometimes literally) held together by rope and hope. Adding to these challenges, the notorious Red Cloaks gang has begun to infiltrate this bohemian paradise. They view the unregulated population not as free spirits, but as a prime market for extortion and illicit trade, threatening to transform Westcheap's thriving chaos into organized crime territory. Despite these mounting pressures, the city currently persists in its state of vibrant, thriving chaos.