Location from Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
The lawless frontier region beyond the Elendel Basin in Era 2. A vast, sparsely populated territory resembling the American Old West, where lawmen like Wax and Wayne kept what order they could.
The Roughs are Scadrial's frontier — technically part of the broader civilization but practically beyond the reach of Elendel's law and government. Bandit gangs, corrupt mine operators, and petty warlords prey on scattered settlements, held in check only by independent lawmen who enforce justice through personal courage and Allomantic ability. The Roughs bred a particular kind of person: self-reliant, direct, suspicious of authority, and practical. Wax and Wayne embody this frontier ethic, carrying it back to Elendel like immigrants from another world. The tension between Roughs culture and Elendel society runs throughout Era 2 — the frontier's rough justice versus the city's complicated politics.
Endless stretches of dry, open terrain — rocky mesas, dusty plains, scattered scrub brush, and wide river valleys. Small towns dot the landscape, connected by rough roads and rail lines. The sky dominates everything, enormous and pale. Occasional mining operations and ranches break up the wilderness. At night, the stars are brilliant in a way city-dwellers never see.
Also known as: the frontier