Arbiter's Grounds (Dungeon)


 * This article is about the TPHD: in . For the location in, see BotW:.

The is the fourth dungeon in.

Entrance to the Grounds
The Arbiter's Grounds is located at the far end of the Gerudo Desert. Link reaches the dungeon after infiltrating the Bulblin Camp and battling King Bulblin. The entrance to the grounds itself is uninhabited, except for an Imp Poe that appears at night on one side of it.

Themes and Navigation
The Arbiter's Grounds was a prison built to house Hyrule's most ruthless criminals while they awaited trial, execution, or exile to the Twilight Realm. It is connected to the Spirit Temple from, both containing a statue of a woman wrapped in a snake. The Mirror Chamber, home of an ancient relic known as the Mirror of Twilight, stands atop the ruins of the Arbiter's Grounds, where the sacred council of the Sages presides over the cursed grounds, conducting trials and executions of convicted criminals. Its appearance from afar resembles the Roman Colosseum, but inside it resembles an Egyptian tomb.

The dungeon contains four floors and two basements. The first section of the dungeon is very similar to the OoT3D: in, as it requires tracking down and destroying four unique Poes in order to light four torches and proceed into the inner sanctums of the prison. Link must transform into his wolf form to follow the Scent of the Poes' essence, which helps him seek them out. After destroying each Poe, one of the four torches in the main room will be lit; once all four torches are lit, a door leading deeper into the prison will open and Link will be able to advance to the second part of the dungeon, where new and different types of obstacles await him, including metallic rails that can give Link a ride once he obtains the ancient device known as the Spinner.

The Arbiter's Grounds teems with the undead. Its halls are haunted by vengeful wraiths, from Stalfos and Stalchild to Gibdos and Bubbles, and even the occasional pack of Ghoul Rats. Link also encounters swarms of Poison Mites, which threaten to slow him down and pull him under the pits of quicksand that cover the dungeon. The Spinner is protected by the dungeon's mini-boss, Death Sword, a vengeful spirit that haunts the sword it once wielded in life. In addition to riding rails to access otherwise inaccessible areas, the Spinner is also necessary to spin certain gears to open new pathways in the dungeon.

Deep within the Arbiter's Grounds lies the remains of a fierce beast, Stallord. Its skeleton is reanimated when Zant appears and stabs the Scimitar of Twilight through the creature's skull. Link is able to defeat it by using a combination of the Spinner and the Master Sword. After clearing the dungeon, Link will be able to progress to the Mirror Chamber outside, where the Mirror of Twilight is found.

In, the Arbiter's Grounds set the stage for two of the game's stages. The first in Stage 1, which is played as a Ranger level. Link can freely roam the area to destroy the 25 Bulblins during the set time allotment. This task takes place outside of the dungeon in a network of fences, towers, gates, and ruined stone walls. The Bulblins wielding clubs will rush towards Link, although they are not much of a threat, as one shot eliminates them. Bulblin archers can be found mostly in higher vantage points along walls and in towers.

The second occurrence in Stage 7 is actually set inside a hallway of the dungeon. The targets rotate in and out of range from the ceiling in the first scene. The second moves targets along the Spinner rails towards Link. The final area normally encountered is immediately before a doorway and Gibdos constantly rise from the sand. An alternative end scene can be unlocked by shooting the Scarecrows eight times and bursting the head for 1000 points in the first two scenes. This ends the stage at the opposite end of the chamber's hall facing a wall. No Gibdos will appear, but several targets and bonus gold colored targets will fill the screen.

In, the Arbiter's Grounds appear in the Gerudo Desert stage, although it is much smaller, being reduced to three halls and two Keeps. It sometimes serves as the headquarters of Forces in various maps of Adventure Mode and Legend Mode.

Trivia

 * The Hylian text on the Dungeon Map and the map of Hyrule gives the name of the dungeon as Arbiter's Keep.
 * TPHD: typography appears commonly on the markings on the walls of the dungeon, implying that the Gerudo were involved in the dungeon's construction. This typography also appears particularly prominent around the resting place of the Spinner and locations where it is designed to be used.
 * Besides the Imp Poe in Jovani's House, the four Poes inside the grounds are the only ones that must be defeated in order to proceed in the game.
 * Each Sage residing in the Mirror Chamber corresponds to a Sage from regarding their emblems, representing the six Medallions that need to be retrieved in that game, except for the Medallion of the Water Sage, whom Ganondorf had slain.
 * Throughout the dungeon, images of the Triforce can be seen in places such as above the first locked door and above the great door closed by the four Poes. One room also contains three torches in a triangle shape.
 * Four of the Medallions' symbols - Water, Spirit, Fire, and Light - are inscribed above the doorways in Arbiter's Grounds.
 * A picture of Arbiter's Grounds can be found in the Snowpeak Ruins, in the room Yeta is sitting in.
 * Arbiter's Grounds is the only dungeon in the game (aside from Hyrule Castle) where Midna does not create an exit portal after the boss is defeated.

Nomenclature
The word "arbiter" is another word for a judge or a mediator, an authorized person who makes and passes judgment to settle conflicts.