Elendel Basin, approx. 300 years post-Harmony's Ascension.
Scadrial at the time of The Alloy of Law has changed dramatically since the
time of Vin, Sazed, Kelsier, and Elend. Gone are the red skies, barren lands, and
constant ashfalls that blot out the sun, replaced now with blue skies, lush plants,
and pleasant weather similar to our own world. Gone are the Lord Ruler, the Steel
Ministry, and its Steel Inquisitors, replaced by a government of freely-elected
officials, constabulary, and lawkeepers all dedicated to protecting, rather than
oppressing, the people. Gone is the systematic repression of technological and
intellectual progress, now replaced with thriving industry, scholarship, art, and
culture — and all the benefits that come with it. Gone are the brutal social and
ethnic divides amongst Scadrial’s inhabitants, who now can intermingle, interact,
and intermarry as their lives and love guide them.
Yet despite these changes, there is much that has not changed about this land
over the last three centuries. As darkness falls, mist still rises from the streets to
cloak those who prowl them in mystery. Men with power still scheme and betray,
seeking to line their pockets through the labors of others. A lucky few can still
harness the powers of Allomancy or Feruchemy — sometimes both. A great and
untamed wilderness surrounds the cities, where men and women still struggle to
find a life or make a living. Koloss tribes — though freed from the will of the dark
god Ruin — still prowl the remote plains, now living off the land and wandering
at the fringes of society rather than invading it. Mysterious shapeshifters known
as the Faceless Immortals still inhabit the dreams of children, and the thoughts of
those who have seen something beyond the ken of mortals. And secrets are still
dangerous, whether they are used as weapons, as protection, or as tools to turn the
world upside down.