In 1765, sinister events unfolded in the small New England town of Arkham, with young girls vanishing without a trace. The townspeople soon identified Joseph Curwen as the culprit and a sorcerer, burning him at the stake. But Joseph Curwen's final curse caused Arkham to be the birthplace of only deformed children. When his descendant, Charles Dexter Ward, arrived over 100 years later, he received a less than warm welcome. And indeed, Ward soon found himself under his ancestor's spell, using a book to make contact with dark forces...