Species

Within the world of Portals of Phereon, portals connect the world of the player to other dimensions. New portals open every day, and within these other dimensions, a variety of strange and wonderous new humanoid species can be found. These species all possess the characteristics of animals or mythological beings, and can all be crossbred to form creatures with novel combinations of traits and abilities.

There are currently four categories of species in Portals of Phereon. The (currently) 12 base species, hybrid species, impure humanoid species and (technically also "impure") creatures. The base species are more common and can be bred with other base species, to form all the (currently) 66 "normal" hybrid species in the game.

There are some examples of even rarer species, so called "special hybrids" that can be bred with more advanced combinations of hybrid species, or (rarely) found and recruited in the events, or even in the wild if the anomaly MC trait is unlocked and picked.

Base species
Base species are like the basic building blocks for Hybridisation. Any hybrid species can be described by a combination of base species. Also, they each have a skill tree themed around their traits, which can be advanced with the use of any hybrid species derived from them.

Hybrid species
For every possible combination of base species, there exists a hybrid species with stats and abilities unique to that species. Combinations of base species can produce characteristics and abilities that were not present in either parent.

A normal hybrid is essentially a character with two different parent genes both of which belong to base species.

Special hybrids
Secret hybrids created with specific species as parents, always including at least one first-tier hybrid species.

Special hybrids can be bred through (usually) several possible combinations of four base species genes of (usually) three types for example Naiad is made (or at least used to be made, not a 100% sure nowadays) as a combination of 1 or 2 plant genes, 1 or 2 mermaid genes, and exactly one Lymean gene. Despite how they are made only two genes are "owned" by the resulting specimen and it's those genes that will be used in further breeding and rituals. For the sake of skillpoints (but not body parts) Rituals for Special hybrids are the same as rituals for normal hybrids with the same owned genes. So for example ritual with a Mermaid+Lymean Angler is, skillpoints wise, the same as a ritual with a Siren. So, continuing the example, if a first ritual was with a MaxLevel 5 Siren and the second with MaxLevel 7 Angler, the first would give you 5 sp, and the second 2 more sp, after which the list on the "c" page will show you that you've "ritualed" with a MaxLevel 7 Siren.

Impure species
In some biomes or events you might encounter entirely unique species that you can not get through breeding base species.

These serve as low priority genes (AFAIK that's called recessive) and when combined with base species genes (found in either hybrids or the base species themselves) will be ignored resulting in an "impure" version of the base species.

Any character where one "parent gene" is not a base species gene will be called impure by the game even though they otherwise would act as a base species specimen.

For example a fusion of a seedling Girl and Lymean would look like a Lymean, have Lymean passives, and Lymean guaranteed skills (and inherited skills from both "parents"), yet would not provide any skill points through a ritual even if base lymean was never "ritualed" (body parts would still unlock though).

Both pure and "Impure" genes are still there and are still transfered, and in absence of base species genes "impure" genes WILL resurface (with one exception AFAIK).

Continuing the example above if one were to fuse two such Lymean/SeedlingGirl characters one could chose to either create a normal lymean or a normal Seedling Girl.

You could even make a normal hybrid out of two such (base+impure) mixes, so long as base genes are different.

One "impure" genes worthy of special notice would be the human gene. It never "resurfaces", and, to the best of my knowledge, it's completely impossible to create a human in this game. Didn't run any recent tests, but in older versions any creature with both genes being human would just fail to be created. Unsurprisingly human genes would act as recessive even towards other impure genes. (So a human + seedling girl would work as an "even less pure" version of a seedling girl).

Generally, species priority would seem to be something like:

Base genes>Impure humanoid/creature genes (didn't have any normal impure humanoids on hand for testing dunno the priority of this part)>spirit genes>human genes.

With two impure genes of the same priority, parent order seems to be the deciding factor.

With two spirits (both spirits of the humanoid and of the creature variety) the second gene takes priority. With two creatures it's the first one. Dunno about normal impure humanoids. And, as stated above, with two humans it's a failure and with two base species it's a hybrid (for which the order of genes means nothing).

Spirits
Strictly speaking spirits are a separate category. Even though most of them work a lot like creatures, and the rest work a lot like humanoids there are subtle differences with all the other categories. (mainly in "species gene" inheritance behaviour)

Spirits can be either summoned by MC or recruited from portals and some events.

The ones summoned by MC get genes based on MC's "native" (without equipment) magic stat, and it would seem that their max level gene is always 5 when summoned (while the rest is distributed randomly), their genes total can also be improved through MC's skill tree "spirit genes" upgrades (for evo and creation only, and NOT retroactively) and Elementalist MC profession.

Normally MC chooses an element at game start and can only summon spirits of that element. Initially only Fire, Water and Grass are available and the other four elements need to be unlocked (by leveling up a spirit of that element to level 10). MC of an Elementalist profession can summon spirits of all elements including the ones not yet unlocked as starters.

Only the basic spirit forms can be summoned, and a summoning typically costs 20 exhaustion. Exceptions thus far are stone (10 exh) and shadow (10 exh, 10 morale).

Summoned spirits are created at medium size (except stone spirit which is created small).

The wild ones have the usual gene generation, including max level genes and are recruited the same way as any other character. Their size can also vary. (you can even find an enormous stone spirit)

Spirits can fuse with any other character (so long as that other character is eligible to fuse at all) except with another spirit. To fuse two spirits together at least one of them must have a "catalyst" genetic trait.

Spirits normally do not pass on any species genes when fusing, but DO pass them on when breeding (making the resulting character impure).

Spirits have an evolution system similar, yet superior, to that of Druid's seedlings.

Any spirit still eligible for evolution will have an "evolving" trait which doubles (multiplicative effect with other exp increasing genetic traits) it's exp gain.

A spirit needs to be at it's max level in order to evolve. Evolving always resets the stats and level of the spirit, permanent consumable use count also resets (but the genes added by SoulReaper's special consumable do not). Genes and genetic traits are kept.

All base forms with max level still below 20 can be reshaped, increasing their max level gene by 3 and randomly increasing other genes by a total of 2 (in-game description is incorrect here, it is possible for only ONE gene to increase, but it will increase by 2 in this case). Specials are kept when reshaping.

All base forms and some non-base forms can also be evolved into next form. Spirits keep some skills of previous forms when evolving, Specials are changed when changing form, including the "adapted" special which is lost (while the effect of adaptation remains). Evolution into mount forms is accompanied by one tier of size increase.

Unlike seedlings you can choose level type and a learned skill upon a form changing evolution (including evolution into base species).

Thus far all the evolution-eligible forms are creatures (non-humanoids) and spirits.

Some of the final forms are humanoids, and some are no longer spirits (so far all the base species and the ring beast).

Creatures
Creatures are species without a lust meter. Making them immune to seduction, but also unable to seduce. They cannot work or breed and do not require a salary (but still require food). Normal creatures can be fused with their own kind or with a spirit of any kind. Spirit creatures follow the spirit fusion rules. Most of the spirits are creatures, but those are listed separately above.

Thus far, creatures (neither spirit nor normal ones) can not be bred.

To recruit a creature in the wild one would need a net consumable or a net skill (found on spider girls and a variety of spirits). Recruitment depends on level difference and creature's current health.

They can also be tamed in the forest near the city.

On some days there's a special trader present at the market what would buy creatures from you. Offered price depends on the type (base cost), size (+50% per tier) and level (+5% per level) of the creature. Protip: catch some Magic Deers on those days.

Note: There is a randomly encountered NPC Seliel in the Portals who can give you a choice between a bird, wolf, and a mule.

Boss Monsters
Killing and looting their corpses is how you obtain some Special Items.
 * Lava Fish
 * Kraken
 * MushroomCore
 * Kitsune (Drops a special egg to allow you to hatch her)