Splinters are the main currency in The Falconeer. Collecting this precious resource allows you to trade for other items, which will improve your falcon and your reputation on the Ursee.
You have to complete missions and side quests to earn splinters. Different tasks will reward you with a different number of splinters. For example, a salvage side mission will net you 300 splinters, while a task that asks you to defend a settlement from a pirate invasion can get you 1600 splinters. Missions with more splinters to earn are more difficult, though, so ensure that your falcon and weaponry are up to the task before you accept them.
Once you have plenty of splinters, you will want to spend them on falcon upgrades and other items. You can head to any nearby island and land on falcon perches to interact with traders. Here, you can check how many splinters you have by looking at the number underneath your falcon’s face on the left side of the menu screen. However, some vendors won’t trade with you without a permit. Permits cost between 100 and 600 splinters, so it is worth investing in these early on so you can buy a trader’s other goods wherever you land.
You can use splinters to buy mutagens to improve your falcon’s stats, to acquire better weapons, and pots to refill your ammo. You can also purchase seachantress tokens from traders, which can net you special items at specific shopkeepers on the Ursee. You will need to seek out these vendors as you traverse The Falconeer’s watery world, so keep an eye on your HUD for unusual landmarks and locations.
Finally, you can purchase memorial tokens, which allow you to earn splinters at a faster rate. Like permits, it is worth investing in a memorial token as soon as possible so you can rack up more splinters for each mission or task you complete.