Arbiter’s Grounds

So, you’ve been to the fire temple, the water temple, etcetera. Now you get to play around in the sand temple. There’s plenty of sand to be found in the Arbiter’s Grounds, and it’ll be as deadly as lava to you. Well, not quite as deadly as lava. When you’re standing on sand, your movement speed will be greatly reduced, and if you don’t get to a solid surface within ten seconds or so, you’ll be sucked underneath the sand and killed. If you ever have to cross the sand, and you will, it’s best to initiate a roll action so that you’re well on your way across the sand before you have to start walking.

The first floor of the Arbiter's Grounds.

Room 1
Clawshot your way up to the first platform to your right, then start hopping from platform to platform until you reach the north side of the room. Head to the platform surrounded by fences and use your clawshot to grab the chain in the sand, then pull it back a bit to open the gate nearby.

When you head up the steps, take a left to find some lantern oil, then go right for a Small Key. Scarabs will attack you after you pick it up. Well, maybe attack isn’t the best word, since they don’t damage you, but they will slow you down when they attach to you. You can shrug them off by rolling, or you can kill them all with a spin attack. Use the key to open the door nearby.

Room 2
Nothing too special here, just a bunch of mini-skeletons to keep you company in the dark. Keep your lamp lit and use it on the two torches near the northern door to proceed on.

Room 3
Another torch-locked door up in front of you here. The torches are magical, though, and they’ll all have their flames stolen by Poe ghosts as you enter the room. You’ll kill one right off the bat, though. To kill these ghosts, change to wolf form, activate your Senses, then wait for them to attack (they’ll flash white) before using a leap attack of your own to rip their guts out. When you finish them off, they’ll release the flames back to the room here. You’ll need to track down the remaining three flames to open the gate leading north.

You can find the Dungeon Map in the northeastern corner of the room here, and there’s a Piece of Heart in the chest to the northwest. You’ll need to clawshot your way back across the gap when you get it.

To start tracking down the Poes, change into wolf form and sniff the corpse in the middle of the room to grab their scent. Using Senses will lead you to a small pit on the western side of the room. Dig down it to find a chain; pull it to lower a set of steps in the floor nearby. This will lead you to the lower segment of Room 4.

Room 4
The basement of Room 4 features a pillar with a large paddle set into the base. If you walk up to the paddle and push or grab it, you’ll be able to rotate it one quarter of a full turn. That will reveal a chest to the north with a Small Key inside of it.

Before reversing the turn and leaving, look up toward the ceiling to find a hole there. If you stand on the north side of the hole and look towards the pillar, you should be able to see a clawshot target in it. Fire the clawshot up through the hole to reach the upper portion of the room, then head out through the door to the north.

The second floor of the Arbiter's Grounds.

Room 5
Kill the Poe here to find the Poe’s Soul, then return south to Room 4. Drop down the hole you clawshotted your way up through, then reverse the turn on the pillar and return to Room 3. If you head through the door leading to the upper half of Room 4, you can find a locked door leading west. Unlock it with the Small Key and move on.

Room 6
Roll across the sand near the door here to reach the platform on the far side of the room. You’ll have to avoid the spike traps that pop up, but they only do light damage. When you reach solid ground again, grab onto the black block in front of you and pull it back just until it falls to the ground level here, then move around to its side and shove it into the gap in the wall. That’ll let you walk across it when you get up higher.

Move up the steps and jump over the barrier to your right, near the spike log that lies harmless against the wall. You have to grab the chain here and pull it as far as you can, which entails pulling it across the block you pushed into the gap behind you. That’ll raise the chandelier here up to the ceiling. When you hear it lock into place, drop the chain and run underneath it; you only have a few seconds before it falls again.

Head up the stairs to reach the 2F part of Room 6. There’s a Compass in the chest here. Grab it, then push the stone bit of the pillar in the middle of the room to rotate it. After doing so, a Small Key will be found to the west. There’s a powerful skeleton guarding it, though, who’ll freeze you in place with its screams before you can attack. Best to attack from afar with arrows (or bomb arrows), or even just by throwing a bomb at it (it’s really slow). You can also attack in wolf form and use your jumping attack to latch onto it.