The storms are a constant source of danger, so shelter is any culture's first priority. Shelter needs to be fireproof and acid proof, and possessing of a lightning rod.
It’s hard to produce a home that can withstand the storms indefinitely. A common philosophy is to produce a single reinforced 'town hall', where the clan will hole up during bad storms, and a number of temporary structures that are easy to replace.
This is the best shelter you can hope for, but it isn't very common. Most clans are superstitious about building tunnel homes, unless they have a good geomancer who can assure them they aren't harming their home fragment.
An oily mess of mud and some common minerals, most clans have someone who knows how to make this stuff. It’s nasty, smelly stuff, but fire resistant and watertight. Liberally coated on a roof it will keep off all but the worst effects of the storms.
While a less dramatic threat, people treat the Mists seriously. Many clans hang 'posies' of herbs outside their homes in order to ward off the dangers when the mists rise. Whether or not these stave off the danger or not is unclear.
With such limited land mass, finding and storing water is a difficult task.
It rains a lot, and thankfully is very rarely of the fiery variety. A good seer is invaluable for predicting the next rainfall.
You are fortunate if you live on a fragment with the right shape to retain water. Otherwise, you'd better invest in clay or glass… or get digging.
This commonly cultivated plant is aesthetic, entirely inedible, but prized for its ability to retain water. The fuzzy leaves create a nest of droplets, which can be easily squeezed into a more permanent container after every rainfall.
The wise rarely waste water. Some rather sophisticated methods of cleaning water have been seen. Equally, people have a comparably tough constitution when it comes to drinking less than clean water.
Very occasionally, a fragment may be a water source. The water bubbles from deep inside it, and trickles continuously over the edge. A clan who can tap this spring has a powerful resource.
Each fragment is a completely self contained eco-system, with its own local climate, native creatures, and unique fauna. The flora and fauna can vary dramatically from one fragment to the next. The adaptable will thrive.
Farming is the most common source of food. While fragments are small, crops grow much faster than the real world equivalents, providing several harvests per 'season'. Some cultures are superstitious about agriculture, or anything that involves cutting the motherland with blades.
Wait for contact with an uninhabited fragment, nip across, and then grab everything that looks edible. It’s useful to have an expert herbalist (or someone you don't like) to assure what you've nabbed actually is edible.
Less popular, but generally a by-product of gathering on strange fragments. Mind you, there’s some very tasty creatures out there if you can get past the fangs.
Most common livestock exists in the broken world, along with some more outlandish creatures. It takes a lot of space to keep livestock, but is very convenient as food you can take with you and trade.
Bloody winged bastards. They get everywhere. They eat crops, they pester livestock, they shit on everything. Nobody likes birds, and people get rather inventive in encouraging them to go elsewhere.
Heat and light are the last essential for survival. Beyond the basics of torches and braziers are some more outlandish methods.
Wait for a firestorm, and then hang your meat outside. It’s not very common, but some clans swear by it for taste.
This is a type of crystal similar to onyx that is able to retain large quantities of heat. A family lucky enough to own one of these generally build a fire on top of it, and then keep it indoors where it will heat a house adequately for days.
Much rarer than hearthstone, these smaller, lighter crystals seem to retain light within themselves. Adopting a similar principle, families charge them, and then use them. They are rather fragile however, and thus rather expensive.
Similar to natural springs, some fragments can seem to have a source of fire. These inhospitable rocks could belch flame regularly, or erupt volcanically. Only the most audacious would settle around a fire pit.