The first trailer for Grotesquerie has landed, and it looks more terrifying than any recent season of American Horror Story.

The upcoming 10-episode series, which hails from the aforementioned horror anthology’s mastermind Ryan Murphy, follows a “series of heinous crimes” that have “unsettled a small community”.

Niecy Nash-Betts stars as Detective Lois Tryon, who “feels these crimes are eerily personal, as if someone – or something – is taunting her”: “At home, Lois grapples with a strained relationship with her daughter, a husband in long-term hospital care and her own inner demons.

“With no leads and unsure of where to turn, she accepts the help of Sister Megan, a nun and journalist with the Catholic Guardian. Sister Megan, with her own difficult past, has seen the worst of humanity, yet she still believes in its capacity for good.”

The synopsis continues: “Lois, on the other hand, fears the world is succumbing to evil. As Lois and Sister Megan string together clues, they find themselves ensnared in a sinister web that only seems to raise more questions than answers.”

The ensemble cast also includes Courtney B. Vance as Marshall Tryon, Lesley Manville as Nurse Redd, Micaela Diamond as Sister Megan, Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Father Charlie and Raven Goodwin as Merritt Tryon.

NFL star Travis Kelce is set to make his acting debut in an undisclosed role.

In the ominous trailer, Detective Lois says in a voiceover that it’s “like a hole opened up in the world, to the center of nothingness ” as she investigates a crime scene, followed by harrowing imagery of nuns, demons, serial killers and Travis Kelce’s fingers.

“To understand this monster, we have to decipher these murders,” says an unknown voice (presumably Sister Megan), with Nash’s character adding: “Something is happening around us. Nobody sees but me.”

Grotesquerie is written and created by Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz and Joe Baken, with Murphy directing alongside Max Winkler, Alexis Martin Woodall and Elegance Bratton.

The series premieres 25 September on FX. Watch the first terrifying trailer here or below.