The third season of the anthology series American Horror Story, subtitled Coven, is slated to premiere on FX next month, and now the first images and some revealing plot and character details have landed online.  American Horror Story: Coven puts the focus on witches and witchcraft and takes place mainly in New Orleans.  We’ve known for some time that Kathy Bates will be playing historical figure Madame Delphine LaLaurie, who was infamous for the brutal torture of her slaves, and we get a good look at her in these first look images along with a peek at Angela Bassett’s voodoo witch character.

Hit the jump to check out the images and for much more information on what the plot for AHS: Coven entails.  The series premieres on FX October 9th at 10pm. [Update: FX has sent out a couple of debut posters and a new teaser for the season, which are now included after the jump.]

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Jessica Lange returns for her third go-around with the AHS crew, and this time EW reports that in the contemporary-set portion of the show she plays a woman named Fiona, who is described as the Wicked Witch of the West.  She is labeled “supreme” for her magical abilities and is witch royalty, descended from Salem casters.  When a young Salem witch near New Orleans is murdered, Fiona is inspired to leave L.A. and return home.  Sarah Paulson plays Fiona’s estranged daughter Cordelia, and she acts as headmistress of the witch school Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies.

The world of Coven is inhabited by not one but two witch clans, and they are both mortal adversaries: Fiona’s Salem witches and the voodoo witches.  When the school is threatened by the voodoo clan, Fiona and Cordelia must figure out the best course of action, be it fighting or attempting peace.  Emma Roberts, Gabourey Sidibe, Taissa Farmiga, and Jamie Brewer all play young students at the school, and Coven will involve a number of different time periods, including the 1970s when the Academy’s enrollment was booming and the 1830s, which is where Bates’ LaLaurie and Bassett’s Marie Laveau come into play.

Head over to EW for more on American Horror Story: Coven, and check out the images and new teaser below.

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