Mistborn: The Final Empire

The frequent ashfalls and nightly mists that characterize Scadrial’s atmosphere after the Ascension of the Lord Ruler are symbols of the resilience of the skaa people and their unclear knowledge of their history and Allomancy, respectively. Both the ashfalls and mists began when Rashek stole the power of the Well of Ascension for himself and became the Lord Ruler; thus, both are associated with the oppression of the skaa and the coming of Allomancy.

The skaa people are ordered by the nobility to continually sweep up the ash that falls at frequent intervals. Thus, the skaa are often covered in soot or ash and their lower social class is immediately visible. The mists often obscure the nighttime adventures of the Mistborn, but in relation to the skaa, the mists are frightening and associated with various threatening myths that keep the skaa from going out with them. This acts as a symbol of their oppression, as the skaa generally stay inside once the mists come, while the nobility move freely about at balls.

The mist also represents the lack of knowledge and historical uncertainty carried by the skaa people because of their persecution by the Lord Ruler.