The Gilded Rafters, though its founding as a distinct social entity is unknown, traces its physical origins to a catastrophic event in 1248. In that year, the massive Western Cheapside explosion tore through the lower city, scattering debris far and wide. The largest chunks of this masonry, defying gravity, began to hover above the newly formed crater, held aloft by the fickle residual magic of the Sleeper beneath the Debris.

Initially, these floating remnants served as strategic high observation points, offering an unparalleled view of the chaotic landscape below. However, this purpose quickly evolved. The elevated position and unique nature of these chained-together mansions soon attracted a new class of inhabitants.

Over time, these aerial platforms morphed into an exclusive enclave known as The Gilded Rafters, home to the Curators. These self-appointed arbiters of culture, successful playwrights, and wealthy patrons became the economic backbone of Westcheap, funding the city’s chaotic economy. To live within the Rafters, the city's proclaimed meritocracy ossified into a new bureaucracy, demanding complex arbitrary forms and social maneuvering to prove one's artistic worth.

In the more recent past, the district's pretense of untouchable luxury dramatically shattered. The growing anarchy of the lower city began to turn its gaze upward, toward the Curators and their immense wealth. The Red Cloaks, recognizing that the Curators held the actual wealth generated by their control of Fernsby's coffee and hallucinogenic inspiration, initiated a focused "squeeze" on The Gilded Rafters.

In a move of retaliation and self-preservation, the Curators barricaded all floating bridges connecting their district to the lower city. This action has transformed The Gilded Rafters into a paradox: a place of unimaginable artistic wealth and pretension, yet physically besieged. Fires, started by riots below, now lick at the underside of its floating foundations.

The statues of The Muse, once symbols of artistic veneration, are defaced nightly by acrobatic vandals. Despite the rising smoke and tangible threat, the residents of The Gilded Rafters remain trapped in their gilded cage, continuing their decadent parties amidst the besieging chaos. The district endures, simultaneously decadent, burning, and under siege.