The Outer or "upper" dimensions are said by magical practitioners to be the homes of the gods, mystical creatures and unusual beings. Each dimension is associated with the use of specific powers, and to have a concept of physics which works in a distorted, unpredictable or unusual way.
Transascalon (The 5th Dimension) is associated with the distortion of space itself, teleportation and the establishment of pocket realms by magicians and others by folding or expanding space. It’s believed by the visiting alien scientists that this is the dimension that the Gate Network passes ships into and out of. Connections between Transascalon and “normal” dimensional space often look to be doorways, curtains, containers etc that seem impenetrably brightly lit or deeply dark.
Shirodkari (The 6th Dimension) is associated with the distortion of time, having strange edies and pools where time does not move at the same rate as in the normal worlds. Passage thru here may result in rapid aging, reversed aging or other strangeness, so that it is rarely explored by mortals. Connections between Shirodkari to “normal” dimensional space often shimmer in the light, like distant places seen in a mirage or the heat of the desert, or even like ripples across water.
Aphranius (The 7th Dimension) is associated with the distortion between the states of matter and energy, so that matter and energy are equally fluid. This dimension is associated with spells that produce true desolid effects where matter can pass thru matter as if it were energy, and is also believed where some kinds of energy are drawn into the normal dimensional space by mages (via EB effects etc.) Connections between Aphranius and “normal” dimensional space often are indistinguishable by the naked eye, though sometimes they look like transparent ghostly doorways or curtains.
Verazzano (The 8th Dimension) this final dimension is associated with the distortion of the states of life and death. It is the realm of that which is neither alive nor dead, real and unreal life. From here one draws energies to make unlife in all it’s various forms, to give personality and coherent thought to objects, or to give form and function to the hungry horrors, ghosts and spirits that the gods have exiled from the rest of the world. It is a place rarely walked in, connected to specific temples and shrines, tombs, graveyards, murder scenes, battlefields and slaughter houses. Where portals to Verazzano connect to “normal” dimensional space there is often a coolness to the air, even in the heat of summer, and a musty cloistered smell of crushed dried flowers in the air.