If we look really closely at Arbiter's Grounds, we see something incredibly interesting.

We have this new-ish looking, gold-edged, geometric Hyrulean architecture, like the kind that we see in the Temple of Time.

And the patterns don’t really match the normal parts of the temple.

Even if you look at the gold-edged pillars, they’ve been modified. Compare the Hyrulean marks on the gold to the squiggles on the stone, like in the above picture.

The letters here don’t spell anything, but they LOOK Hylian.

Just glancing through it, I can see  half of an L, a Z, and a W.

And if you look closely, the Royal Crest on this doorway has been fixed OVER images of the sage medallions

You can find more evidence of the medallions near the roof of Arbiter’s Grounds in almost every room, in Hyrulean gold.

We know that this place is where you meet the sages when you go to find the mirror. But why here? Why put the spirits of Hyrule’s holy in a death prison?

Here’s what I think. The only Gerudo we ever see is Ganondorf in this game.

Aside from him, nothing. No camps, no prisoners, no cities, nothing. We maybe have Telma, and she’s unconfirmed.

But they’re in later games, and none of the skulls in the traps look human-like. So they weren’t executed for losing the war, which was my first thought when considering Arbiter’s Grounds.

The desert stretches well off into the distance, so it’s a safe enough assumption to say that they left the area to avoid war with Hyrule, leaving their temple behind.

The Hylians commandeered it to use as their execution grounds, giving it its name. It was the Hylians that came after that installed all the traps, and the people foolish enough to try stealing from the death trap wound up as the stalfos and redeads you come across.

It’s adding insult to injury, taking Ganondorf’s people’s sacred temple and defacing it in the wake of their war. The only minor consolation we have is that it’s not the first time it’s been used this way.

“You were thrown from the boar, remember?” Midna must have read his confusion as he looked down at where he had landed. He looked up at his imp companion, who was floating upside down with her hands behind her head.

“Kind of,” Link said, standing up and readjusting his green cap. He was surprised that it hadn’t fallen off, but it was a tad uneven for his liking. Figuring Midna was bored of the interruption to the flow of their journey Link trekked the rest of the stone steps, covered in the displaced sand of tons of sandstorms. He watched his step knowing that Midna would not be able to contain her laughter if Hyrule’s precious chosen hero were to fall twice over the course of five minutes.

It was a grand coliseum of tan stone, laden with accents of solid gold. Link would have wondered why the place hadn’t been looted by theives if he wasn’t stuck on why the symbol of the royal family greeted him upon entering. Midna floated to the wing that was partially chipped off as if she read his mind. She smirked as she brushed a finger over the top of it and looked scrutinizingly at her finger as if inspecting it.

“Looks like the Twili aren’t the only sinners in Hyrule, huh?”

Link furrowed his brow. She couldn’t have meant…no…she liked to tease. He shook his head and paced down the steps that descended into the dark dungeon, Midna trailing behind watching for any followers. Link didn’t notice. She soon turned back to face the same direction as Link.

It was a screech that stopped Link in the dark stairwell, a terrifying, blood-curdling wail that both laughed and cried at once.

“What was that?” Link said.

It was no doubt he was on edge. Despite the fact that the dungeon was indeed lit ahead of them, he felt the fear in his heart and the goddess-blessed sword on his back felt a bit heavier.

He felt Midna’s hand on his shoulder.

“A lingering spirit, maybe,” Midna said. “Lots of dead things here.”

“If they were all dead I wouldn’t have anything to worry about.”

He started to notice the blood adorning the walls of the entrance, the brush of scarlet paint he tried to convince himself was just…decoration…just a painter’s…accident, just…

“I think we are the only two beings to enter this place who have the least the worry about,” Midna said, she sounded almost mournful. What did she know? Did Link even want to know?