Nihilum

It is likely that they dont damage each other because they are all basically the same thusfar. A weapon that can cleave stone and steel without as much as knicking a shardblade...why would they damage each other? Shardblades have little to do with damaging shardplate as it can be cracked from falling and from normal swords and spears as Kaladin proved...twice.

My recommendation would be to read Elantris and Warbreaker next. Then move on to The Way of Kings. You will have the same temptation to read TWOK as soon as you finish it the first time...and I recommend it. You will pick up a lot of small details that people tend to miss in the first read.

The kandra, if they could mimic a tattoo , would have to alter the pigment in their own skin. Tattoo ink does not stay liquid in the skin, it cures and stains the skin and scar tissue. The possiblity of mimicing a tattoo would depend greatly on what the tattoo actually is. As for the tattoos of an obligator or Inquisitor, if the mimic is possible it would be easy. The way they are discribed in the book, the ministry tattoos are tribal-like. This means they are lines or shapes that are filled in with color...usually black or red. Now rendering a tattoo that contains a great amount of detail, may prove to be impossible...or at least take an excessive amount of time to reproduce. A tattoo is nothing more than a scar, but it's not like a scar from a normal wound. Tattoos that contain graduated shading, or really fine detail, would be exceptionally dificult to reproduce as the scars intertwine, leaving no definite pattern to mimic. It would probably turn out like a blob of muttled color. As an expample...I actually have tribal flames tattooed on my right forearm. It would be easy to reproduce for a kandra, as it is solid black in the shape of flames. On the other hand, I have a tattoo on my left forearm, from wrist to elbow, that is full of minute details and lots of graduated shading. This would be more difficult to mimic as it blends colors and contains swirls...which means the lines in the scar itself are intertwined so there is no definite pattern to mimic.

To get the full story behind the use of atium to pay for contract with the Kandra, you need to read Hero of Ages. Eventually, the entire story of Kandra history is revealed. And atium production would not increase. Why? Because Kelsier destroyed the crystals that actually produce the atium in TFE. Advice: If you're reading a series, it's best to read the whole series first. Spoilers can ruin the experience of reading a book for the first time.

Just to clear it up. Kelsier did NOT hijack ruin, and OreSuer's use of Kelsier's bones is NOT Kelsier returning. Ruin is half of Harmony...a force of nature. Ruin was using the visage of Kelsier to sway Spook to keep the sword tip embedded in his body so that Ruin could keep affecting Spook.

Personally, I believe that some readers are taking everything a bit too literally. It is a work of fantasy, meaning that the impossible is possible. People have spent, what seems to be hours, doing research on chemistry to prove a point, yet ignore the fact that Shardbearers summon their blades out of thin air. We call it fantasy for a reason. The mechanics don't have to translate to known physics. Stop worrying about trying to prove Sanderson flawed, and simply enjoy the works that he grants us.

Though I've been reading Sanderson's work for about a year and following the website, I didn't actually register for the forums until today. I was introduced to Sanderson by my older brother, when he commented on Sanderson finishing out the WoT series. He recommended that I read Elantris first, but I bought the Mistborn Trilogy for my Nook instead. From the Prologue until the final sentence in Hero of Ages, I was enthralled. I eventually picked up Elantris, Infinity Blade and most recently The Way of Kings, and Alloy of Law. Though even hardcore fans found the first half of TWoK to be too slow, I found it addicting. I continually have trouble with putting any of his books down and doing what needs to be done around the house.

I had heard of Robert Jordan first, because my older brother started reading the WoT series in the early '90s. I, on the other hand, didn't pick up a Jordan book until after I read the Mistborn Trilogy just last year. And though Jordan was a great author, I found that Sanderson's style was more appealing to me.