Shaky Foundations

 is a side quest in Torment: Tides of Numenera.

Synopsis
Peliai, a varjellen agent of the Slave Families, is trying to stop the sticha from digging underneath the city. Apparently, the creatures are destabilizing Sagus Cliffs and causing buildings to collapse. Her negotiations have gone nowhere, so she's turned to less honorable tactics.

Walkthrough

 * Talk to Peliai to accept her quest. You will receive a Panoramic Capture Ball on account of your help, which is an useful exploration gadget. The goal is to convince the sticha to stop digging right under the city and collapsing its districts.

Negotiations

 * Talk to Ch'kekt. When you mention stopping digging beneath the city, the stichus will ask you to provide a reason for them to move:
 * You can propose they move deeper beneath the city, which he will ignore.
 * You can promise a regular tribute (he reacts positively to it).
 * You can tell them to move to a better location, after you talk with Mapper about the Sticha. (A black spire filled with energy from other worlds)
 * Try to lean on his compassion (he ignores that).
 * Use (Persuasion) to convince him that war with the humans is inevitable if they continue digging beneath the city.
 * Return to Peliai after negotiations. She isn't quite thrilled by negotiating a truce with the sticha without retrieving the eggs and the tribute idea is not something they particularly enjoy, but she will accept the results.

Egg thief

 * To steal the eggs, you need to procure a digging machine. Talk to the Master Foreman and ask for it, then look for a dead stichus in the tunnel near the exit to Cliff's Edge.
 * Return to the Foreman, who will order it assembled. Talk to the construct and demand that he take you to the lair (or the Changing God's sanctuary, both land you in the Sticha Lair). Acquire the eggs and return.
 * You can negotiate with Ch'kekt as usual, and use the eggs as leverage ( (Intimidation) or give them back in exchange for their service. You can also just hand the eggs over to Peliai and she will handle the negotiations.
 * Note that procuring the eggs will result in Ch'kekt refusing to help you travel underground.

Rewards

 * The rewards depend on how you negotiated the settlement.
 * Promising a tribute from Sagus in exchange for the cessation of digging only results in the monetary reward.
 * Convincing the sticha to stop digging without promising anything from the city results in the Ebon Eyes as a reward.