| “ | Do you want to know what the most important quality in the world is? It's patience. Wait long enough by the river's edge, and the bodies of your enemies will float by. And I have been waiting by this river for a very, very long time. | „ |
| ~ Lilita Morgan revealing she has been possessing Lola Perry this whole time. |
Lilita Morgan aka The Dean is the initially unseen main antagonist of season one of the web series Carmilla The Series, and the seemingly posthumous hidden secondary antagonist of season two. She is the dean of Silas University, leader of a vampiric cult and the adopted mother of the titular Carmilla.
In her appearances she is played by Sharon Belle (as her body double for her shadow), Elise Bauman (while possessing Laura), Annie Briggs (while possessing Perry).
Carmilla The Series
Her origins are mostly unknown but she is at league with a mysterious demigod named Lophiiformes living under the university. Lophiiformes demands a sacrifice every twenty years. When Carmilla as human, she was murdered at a ball, where she was found by the vampire who will be known as the dean, who resurrected her as a vampire. She forcibly recruited Carmilla into her cult, and had her befriend virginal girls so they can be abducted and sacrificed.
At one point, Carmilla fell in love with a girl named Ell, and decided to protect her. Carmilla's mother caught wind of this and revealed to Ell that Carmilla was a vampire in a horrific manner, before forcing Carmilla to watch as she sacrificed Ell to the creature. Carmilla was then buried alive in a coffin for decades, before being set free during World War II. Carmilla went into hiding before running into her "mother" again who forced her to rejoin the cult. Now feeling rebellious toward her, Carmilla settled for ruining the rituals in annoying ways, like sabotaging the girls who have been targeted.
Season One
At the time of the series, she has become the Dean of Silas University, the series setting, and uses the university as a front for her activities. Carmilla has met the series protagonist Laura Hollis and her friends, following the disappearance of her roommate. After initial suspicion, Carmilla also becomes romantically attached to Laura. It is discovered that Lilita uses parasites to infect and brainwash girls for the sacrifices.
When the Dean finds out Carmilla and Laura are interfering with her plans, she uses a mystical necklace to briefly possess Laura. Lilita offers Carmilla a deal - she offers a student named Kirsch as a sacrifice, and she'll let Carmilla keep Laura as a pet. Lilita also reveals that the sacrifices don't need to be virgins, as it was a mistranslation. Carmilla doesn't tell Laura that she was possessed, but Laura finds out and has a falling out with Carmilla.
Lilita is finally defeated during an offscreen (but recounted) battle - Laura and her friends Per and Lafontaine find the cavern where the virgins are sacrificed by being thrown into a pit where the creature dwells. They confront the vampires themselves but are taken to a closet to be fed on later. They forgot to take Laura's phone so Laura manages to call her friend Danny who get two houses - Summer Society and Zeta - to come with her to the cavern, freeing Laura, and fighting the vampire cult head on. Suddenly, "The Light" which Lophiiformes uses as a lure rises from the pit and begins to draw Laura towards it. Laura is saved by Carmilla. Angered, Lilita charges and fights Carmilla, who knocks her into the pit. Carmilla then stabs the heart of the light before diving into the pit as well. The vampires surrender, save for Lilita, who climbs up the wall of the pit, warning them that they don't know what they're up against. Laura tells Lilita that they're done with her and rolls a large boulder onto Lilita, making her fall to the bottom of the pit and being sacrificed to Lophiiformes.
The next episode reveals the creature wasn't killed by mildly annoyed by Carmilla's stabbing and is apparently angered over the sacrifice gone wrong and his rousing beneath the university. The episode ends with a town emergency alarm being played.
Season Two
When Lophiiformes is roused from the pit, Carmilla, Laura, Perry and Lafontaine initially flee the university but eventually return. They find Lophiiformes got stuck while trying to escape the pit. In the wake of Lilita's death, chaos erupted on campus, with the students fighting and engaging in turf wars. Eventually the Silas Board of Directors takes control of the University, headed by Mattie, Lilita's other adopted daughter. In the first two episodes, Perry finds herself covered in blood; it is discovered that the students working for the university's paper are killed and suspicion falls on Mattie.
It is discovered that Mattie is planning to destroy the University to seal up Lophiiformes, so Laura plans on having another board member of Silas Board of Directors take Mattie's spot as the chairman. Carmilla refuses to fight with her sister, and ends up breaking up with Laura. Laura nominates Baron Vordenberg, an elderly Baron and Board member she befriends who ends up winning the election when she reveals Mattie's plans to the other Board members. Upon being elected, Vordenberg declares his plans to detain vampires. Putting his plans into action, Vordenberg uses his power to become a dictator over Silas.
Throughout the season, we learn more of Lilita's life, such as her dealings with the supernatural dealing Corvus Corporation, and how she was once a member of the Silas Board with plans to kill Lophiiformes, despite the risk of hell on earth. Vordenberg gets his hands on the plans and kills Lophiiformes. While fighting Vordenberg's militia, Laura keeps Mattie and Carmilla in hiding, however a vampire has massacred students on campus and the blame once again falls on Mattie. It is initially implied something is wrong with Perry and that she is in on it. Mattie is nearly arrested by Vordenberg and is killed in the attempt.
After a battle between Laura's resistance and Vordenberg's militia, Vordenberg has captured Carmilla and has the other board member shot over the announcements before attempting to kill Carmilla, live on a webcam in front of her friends. Perry hands Laura the Silas Chart linked to Vordenberg's life, encouraging her to kill him with it. After Vordeneberg's death, the Corvus Corporation takes control of the university, with its own militia. Carmilla, Laura and Lafontaine flee to the abandoned library.
After the credits in the season finale, Perry addresses the audience on Laura's webcam; its revealed that throughout the season Perry has been possessed by Lilita's spirit, and she was biding her time to get herself back into power, and now that Lophiiformes is dead, the first gate to hell is open and there are seven to go. Kirsch arrives with Danny's body, Danny having been murdered by Vordenberg's henchmen. Posing as Perry, Lilita preforms a ritual to resurrect Danny as a vampire, who attacks and feeds on Kirsch. Lilita looks to the camera and announces that they are in for "a hell of a summer".
Trivia
- In season one, she never appears onscreen. The closest we see of her is a brief shadow and when she possessed Laura.
- She appears throughout season two while possessing Perry.
- The three actresses who portray her, all portray three of the series protagonists; Sharon Belle (Danny), Elise Bauman (Laura Hollis), Annie Briggs (Lola Perry)