Arbiter's Grounds (Dungeon)



Arbiter's Grounds is the fourth dungeon in Twilight Princess, located in the Gerudo Desert. The Arbiter's Grounds was built to house the most ruthless criminals while they awaited trial, execution, or exile to the nether realm of the Twilight. The Mirror Chamber stands atop the ruins of Arbiter's Grounds, where the sacred council of the Sages presides over the cursed grounds. It's appearance from afar resembles the Roman Colosseum, but inside it resembles an Egyptian tomb.

Dungeon
Arbiter's Ground contains four floors and two basements. The first section of this temple is extremely similar to the Forest Temple in Ocarina of Time. It requires tracking down and destroying four Poes. After destroying each poe, one of four torches in the main room will be lit. Once all four Poes are tracked down and all four torches are lit, a door leading on will open and you will advance to the second part of the dungeon. The item obtained in this temple is the Spinner, which is used to reach higher rooms (and it may be the least used item in the game). Link obtains this after defeating the temple's mini boss, Death Sword. Deep within Arbiter's Grounds lays the skeleton of a fierce beast, Stallord. It is revived when Zant stabs a sword of Twilight energy through the creature's skull. The Arbiter's Grounds teems with the undead. Its halls are haunted by vengeful wraiths, undead soldiers and guards, and skeletal knights. These are likely the long dead inmates and guards of the ancient prison.

Trivia

 * Besides the Imp Poe in Jovani's House, the four sub-boss Poes are the only ones that must be defeated in order to proceed in the game.


 * Throughout the temple, pictures of the Triforce can be seen in places such as above the door closed by the four Poes.


 * While it is not certain, there is a possibility the Arbiter's Grounds and the Spirit Temple from Ocarina of Time are the one and same due to their locations at the far end of the Desert Colossus, the presence of the Gerudo Goddess of the Sand, and the Spirit Temple's theme of mirrors (the Arbiter's Grounds was most famous for housing a particular mirror, the Mirror of Twilight). The large round mirror that allows Link access to Twinrova's chamber in Ocarina of Time looks very much like the Mirror of Twilight, and its central location and role of granting Link access to the temple's boss give this particular mirror significance in the completion of the Spirit Temple.  If this mirror was in fact the Mirror of Twilight, it would further support the theory that both places are the one and same.


 * Each respective Sage residing in the Mirror Chamber has a reference to the Six Sages regarding their emblems, representing the six medallions that need to be retrieved in Ocarina of Time, except the Medallion of the Water Sage, whom Ganondorf had slain with the Sword of the Sages.


 * Throughout the dungeon pictographs can be found, some are of the Stallord and others are of a warrior, possibly Link. In the mini-boss's room, images of the mirror of twilight can be found.