Enter the Leopard – Swashbuckling in the English Civil War

Meet Edward Clement, better known as the Leopard – spy, adventurer, diplomat… and perhaps a forgotten pretender to the English crown. He is the star of my forthcoming Pulp Alley campaign set during the English Civil War, and he promises to bring cloak-and-dagger intrigue to the smoke of musket fire.

Edward Clement, aka The Leopard, spy, adventurer, diplomat

 and a forgotten pretender to the English Crown.

But where did this character come from?

The seed was planted when I stumbled across Hans Holbein's famous painting of Sir Thomas More and his family. In the background, half-hidden in a doorway, stands a mysterious young man clutching a scroll. The art historian Jack Leslau argued that this figure was Dr. John Clement, husband of Margaret Giggs, More's adopted daughter, and, more controversially, that Clement was in fact Richard of Shrewsbury, the younger of the lost Princes in the Tower. 

Thomas More and Family with Richard of Shrewsbury

in the doorway to the right.

That idea lit my imagination. What if a descendant of Clement survived into the seventeenth century? A man of mystery, royal whispers in his bloodline, stepping into the storm of the Civil War? Thus, Edward Clement – the Leopard – was born.

The Leopard's Story

Edward Clement was educated in the Low Countries and at Cambridge before entering Prince Rupert's service during the Breda campaign of 1637. When Rupert sailed for England in 1642, Edward followed, quickly catching the attention of Edward Hyde, one of Charles I's most trusted advisors. 

Court gossip puzzled over his sudden rise. Whispers of noble blood surrounded him, but Hyde saw only a helpful agent – if one with dangerous ambitions. By 1642, the Leopard had become an indispensable spy, navigating the murky shadows of the King's quarrel with Parliament. 

In early 1643, he was dispatched west to aid Sir Ralph Hopton, taking up the role of chief intelligence officer. There he crossed swords with an old nemesis: Aaron Bell, the fiery Puritan preacher who had sworn to unmask him.

The Fellowship of the Claw

Of course, no pulp hero stands alone. The Leopard commands a league of loyal companions known as the Fellowship of the Claw – a ragtag band of allies, rogues, and survivors.

• Young Billy – a nimble-fingered street urchin with quick hands and quicker charm. 
• Fletcher – the Clement family's old gamekeeper, a deadly shot when sober, a liability when not. 
• Edgar – the family's secretary and fixer; once a courier of secrets and master cryptographer, now a dangerous old man who knows everyone's business. 
• Maarten van Asbeck – a bastard son of a Dutch noble, long-time comrade of Edward, hardened by the Thirty Years' War. 
• Milo Crumb – the hapless adventurer, often lost, often in trouble… and yet somehow always stumbling into discoveries, such as the coded Parliamentary note he found when his head struck a low beam. 

It's a cast straight from the pages of a penny-dreadful – perfect for pulp adventures.

The Leopard and the Fellowship of the Claw, from the right, Billy, Fletcher, 

Edgar, the Leopard himself and Maarten. Milo had fallen into a hole.

Bringing the Leopard to Life 

This campaign utilises Pulp Alley with only minor tweaks, many of which are inspired by the excellent community on the Pulp Alley Facebook group (special thanks to Ira Gossett and his Three Musketeers adaptation).

The Campaign Board

The backbone of the story will be a custom Snakes and Ladders campaign board. Each die roll pushes the Leopard and his companions closer to their ultimate goal – but hazards, detours, and dramatic trials lurk along the way.

The Scenario Generator

Initially, I wrote a dozen full scenarios to be played in random order, but that proved too rigid and sometimes broke the narrative. A sprawling table system followed, but that became clumsy and overcomplicated.

The final version is much sleeker: a single 3D6 table that generates mission, location, primary objective, and complications all at once. Optional tables for minor plot points and enemy leagues add spice to the game. The result feels flexible, surprising, and – crucially – keeps the narrative flowing.

Testing is underway, and I'll share the draft ideas soon. 

Enter the Leopard

The Leopard is ready to stride into history – rapier in hand, cloak billowing, secrets close to his chest. Over the coming weeks, I'll be posting more about the campaign's mechanics, introducing some other characters, including the stunning and cunning Amelie St. Simon, a noble spy, and her reckless brother, Andre. Then, the villain of our campaign, Aaron Bell, the Preacher, is a Parliamentarian spymaster with hidden ambitions. These introductions will be followed by a series of battle reports where Edward Clement and the Fellowship of the Claw take the stage. 

Adventure awaits. Will the Leopard rise as a hero of the King, or fall as another forgotten pretender?

Maarten and his love interest, Katie Reed. 

One-time prostitute now a kicken maid in Lady Hopton's household.