Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep begins in the Land of Departure, where three Keyblade wielders and close friends—Terra, Aqua, and Ventus (more commonly known as Ven)—train to become Keyblade Masters under Master Eraqus. To achieve this rank, Keyblade Apprentices must take the Mark of Mastery exam once they come of age. Terra and Aqua take this test together and in the first round Master Xehanort sabotages the exam, forcing Ventus to intervene. In the second round Terra and Aqua fight each other, but while Aqua passes the test, Terra is deemed unfit to become a Keyblade Master due to the abundant darkness in his heart.