There seems to be a lot of mismatched information about these resources online, so I'm creating this as a reference for all of the resources, and other information about them like what chapters they drop on.

With all enemy drops, the drop rate is not 100%.

Hopefully these help while looking at upgrade menus, since they don't have tooltips to tell you what the item is.

Basic Resources

These resources can always be gained by fulfilling the criteria.

• Stable Wood - Created by finding 12 Stable Branches. Stable Branches can be gotten by placing Forest, Thicket, killing chests as Rogue, or randomly from Ruins.
• Preserved Rock - Created by finding 10 Preserved Pebbles. Preserved Pebbles can be gotten by placing Mountain, Rock, or randomly from Ruins.
• Stable Metal - Created by finding 13 Scrap Metal. Scrap Metal can be gotten by letting items fall out of your bag or randomly from Ruins.
• Food Supply - Created by finding 12 Rations. Rations can be gotten by placing down Meadow.
• Book of Memories - Created by finding 10 Memory Fragments. Memory Fragments can be gotten by letting cards get replaced when your hand is full, or walking through a Cemetery.
• Metamorphosis - Created by finding 20 Noticeable Changes. Noticeable Changes can be gotten by transforming a tile (for example, Meadow to Blooming Meadow, or Rock/Mountain to Mountain Peak)

Orbs

These resources require luck, setups, or sometimes moving to a newer chapter.

• Orb of Expansion - Earned by killing at least 5 enemies in a single combat. This can be done by adding a Vampire Mansion near any tile that spawns 4 enemies. Can drop on Chapter 1.
• Orb of Crafts - Created by finding 10 Craft Fragments. Craft Fragments come from any Artificial or Object enemy. Seems to only drop on Chapter 2+.
• Orb of Evolution - Created by finding 10 Living Fabric. Living Fabric comes from any Living or Plant enemy (wolfhound, bandit, spider, etc). Only drops on Chapter 2+.
• Orb of Unity - Earned by killing Liquid or Swarm enemies (slimes, blood clots, etc). Can be farmed by placing Battle Fields next to each other and spawning blood clots. Seems to only drop on Chapter 2+.
• Orb of Afterlife - Created by finding 10 Pitiful Remains. Pitiful Remains come from Vampire and Undead enemies. Seems to only drop on Chapter 2+.
• Astral Orb - Created by finding 10 Time Shards. Time Shards are earned by killing Cosmic or Mage enemies. Dark Slimes can be spawned by obliterating an enemy from the map. Mages can be spawned with an empty Bookery next to a Vampire Mansion or a Temporal Beacon. Seems to only drop on Chapter 2+.
• Orb of Immortality - Earned by killing a chapter boss.