Personally, I see the Raiders as the closest reflection of Mad Max's world, especially in terms of aesthetics and inspiration: cars, attire, weapons, and behaviors. To me, the Decayed are a blend of undead, cannibals, and a dystopian society heavily focused on industry, driven by extreme utilitarian values.
They play a crucial role in the region as the primary, if not the exclusive, fuel suppliers. Their network is well-established, with train stations, trains, and refineries already in operation. However, it’s unclear whether the Decayed were supplying fuel before Lord Abrax came to power, or if this only began once his faction consolidated control. At the very least, we know that the Decayed faction supplying fuel to Zaton was seen as an enemy by Abrax, as they obstructed his goal of unifying all the Decayed under his leadership.
I don’t see them as potential allies for Zeta. Their numbers continue to grow, and frequent raids by Decayed groups near Zeta’s borders have been reported. Lord Abrax also seems to have distanced himself from the values of his former homeland. In fact, I get the sense (though this could just be my interpretation) that he holds the ancestors or founders of Zeta partially, if not fully, responsible for the disaster afflicting Old Cairo with the Red Mist. Perhaps they were aware of it and chose to do nothing.
If Lord Abrax is successful in halting this cataclysmic phenomenon, as he claims, it could disrupt the fragile balance of power and ultimately lead the city to its downfall. This is, at least, a possibility I foresee. Moreover, we are still in the dark about the true goals of the former master of Zaton, who, in my humble opinion, seems rather sinister.
Concerning Shani, I need to make a few corrections and clarify some details, correcting myself after reviewing each point while replaying the game. Actually, it’s Zaton who first mentions the existence of a new Zone and suggests sending Shani there to Zahra, believing it’s an important step for his daughter, as Shani wants to become a Stalker and is also expected to succeed him as heir. This might be a change introduced in the latest game updates. It also seemed to me that the sequence of events leading to Shani’s excursion into the Zone was different in the past, but I could be wrong.
Zaton then travels to Old Cairo to collect fuel, but upon arrival, the usual group he deals with is nowhere to be found. Instead, he stumbles upon the Decayed headquarters, where he encounters his former mentor. It’s only before heading to the Zone that Queen Merneith summons Zaton to the arena, tells him about a missing scout, and instructs him to send Shani to find him.
As for how Abrax learned about Zaton’s daughter, the explanation is simple. He hints at it himself. Abrax had his men watch the Decayed group Zaton and Shani were sent to either neutralize or convince to stop attacking caravans. During this operation, Abrax likely discovered that his former pupil was in the area, accompanied by his daughter.
Finally, returning to the subject of my previous post, it seems Zosar/Abrax was aware of Zaton’s plans to send his daughter to the Zone. However, this timing appears to be a coincidence. Zaton had expected to be sent himself to retrieve the item requested by his former master, but didn’t anticipate it would involve a trip to the Zone and that his daughter would be the one to take on the task instead.