Arbiter's Grounds (Twilight Princess)

Arbiter's Grounds is the fourth dungeon in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Story
The Arbiter's Grounds served as a prison where convicts were either executed or banished to the Twilight Realm, through the use of the Mirror of Twilight. It was the site of Ganondorf's death sentence by the Ancient Sages. Ganondorf escapes execution, but is banished to the Twilight Realm, where he gives Zant his kingship and powers of sorcery.

After receiving the Master Sword, Midna directs Link to Gerudo Desert as to enter the Twilight Realm. Upon reaching the climax of the prison roof, Midna and Link stumble across a massive skeletal beast, possibly referred to as "Stallord" when it was once alive. Zant revives Stallord by plunging a magic blade into its skull. After the battle, Link and Midna enter the Mirror Chamber, only to find the mirror broken. The Ancient Sages appear and explain to them the tale of Ganondorf's execution and that Zant shattered the mirror. After assembling the mirror, Midna and Link enter the Twilight Realm and defeat Zant. During the ending credits, Midna leaves Hyrule and goes back to the Twilight Realm, destroying the Mirror in the process.

While it is not known for certain, the Arbiter's Grounds could have some connection to the Spirit Temple from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, as they seem to share architectural similarities (for example, the Gerudo Goddess of the Sand appears both at the top of the Arbiter's Grounds as well as within the Grounds themselves and is also a prominent feature of the Spirit Temple). Furthermore, mirrors were prominent in the Spirit Temple, and the Mirror of Twilight bears resemblance to the large round mirror that Link used to access the Spirit Temple's boss chamber. It should be noted, however, that there was no colloseum-type dome at the top of the Spirit Temple, so it may be pure Hylian addition. The fact that the Arbiter's Grounds housed many paranormal demons and spirits also seems to further support the idea that the Grounds were once the Spirit Temple, the place of worship for the spirits of Hyrule, particularly the Gerudo Goddess of the Sand.

Dungeon
It is located in Gerudo Desert, accessible from the cannon in Lake Hylia. The main item of the dungeon is the Spinner, the mini-boss is Death Sword and the boss is Stallord. To continue the dungeon, Link must chase down three Poes using the "Poe's Scent" as a wolf (somewhat like the Poe Sisters in the The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time). Along the way, he must also face undead monsters. The dungeon itself is desert themed; it is filled with quicksand and sand whirlpools. There are also many dark areas where the Lantern must be used.

Items

 * Spinner
 * Heart Container
 * Mirror Shard

Enemies

 * Bubble
 * Ghoul Rat
 * Poe
 * Poison Mite
 * Red Bubble
 * ReDead Knight
 * Stalfos
 * Stalkin
 * Staltroop

Mini-boss

 * Death Sword

Boss

 * Stallord

Etymology
It is interesting to note that the word Arbiters' is plural or possessive. It might be a central area for arbitration, to a point where it was considered a being. Alternatively, the word arbiters may refer to the Ancient Sages who passed judgments within the Grounds.