Then I curse ye an' aw your descendants. If I'm nae tae have it, then whosoever of ye shall move it fra this place shall suffer death and ruination... Accompanying Professor Merlin Reid on an archaeological dig, university student, Joy Elliot, inadvertently uncovers a long-buried skull. Both she and the professor are initially unaware of the significance of the discovery. Could they really have unearthed the legendary Mardale Skull? And if so, surely there couldn't be any substance to the fabled ancient curse upon it? A series of grisly events would appear to suggest otherwise... In a family...