In Shadow of the Horned Rat players take control of Commander Morgan Bernhardt as he leads his mercenary army called "the Grudgebringers", named after his magical flame sword, the Grudgebringer. The storyline focuses on the mercenary general's quest to stop a Skaven plot led by Grey Seer Thanquol and his pawn, the possessed Orc warboss Urgat Rip-Eye. The player must defeat a variety of foes in pitched battles using traditional fantasy battle methods such as shooting and close combat as well as magic. The finances of the mercenary army are handled by Paymaster Dietrich. The player is frequently given a choice of missions to accept, giving multiple paths through the game, some of which result in different mercenary units being available to the player. Losses incurred in previous battles rema