The Road to Knighthood (TCG)

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Most knights must be squired to a noble lord or knight, and then trained in the arts of war by their masters. One cannot just choose to be a knight and sign up somewhere. Still, there are other ways
to attain the status of knight without this long training process, but they usually involve great risk to one's health and almost foolish bravery.
In some campaigns, the DM can choose to assign knighthood to a character at first level, assuming that his training as a squire was completed on the way to manhood, and now the young warrior is ready to step out on his own.
However, depending on the campaign, this may not be the best way. After all, where is the great deed done in service to god, king, or country? Face it, at first level, killing an ogre is a great act of heroism, but it doesn't rank up there on the royal top ten of heroic acts, now does it? Also, more importantly, where's the character development? Does the whole story get made up and wasted in 100 words or less on a 3x5 card?
It seems more logical to allow the young cavalier or paladin to train until manhood and then be allowed to make his own mark upon the world. Some knights-intraining stay back and train the next group, guard the fort, or take a safe job at home with "Daddy." Those are the NPC kind of knights. They reach name level at the age of 50 and get knighted for "meritorious service in the name of the kingdom," which is a fancy way of saying "he didn't get killed or screw up real badly in all his years."
But PC knights-in-training go out and seek little dragons. As they years go by, they gradually allow their increased skills and abilities to guide their sight's higher and higher until they are confronting world-shattering horrors and standing alone against the greatest of foes. Training for levels can be done on the road, as earned by deeds, or by the PC's lord, who gets to keep tabs on him and continues his fatherly guidance over those years.
It is also suggested that, in a feudal campaign, the criteria for obtaining a stronghold not be fixed at 9th level. Being knighted, which may or may not come at 9th level. should be the campaign criteria for such an important event. It makes the gift more logical in such a setting and gives the character an obvious reward to work for in his travels and battles.
You can become a squire through bribery, by being left on a doorstep. by cooking an unusually good rabbit for a knight, by calling in an old family favor, by being chosen by the High Priest at festival time, or by sheer luck. In any case, the imagination of the DM is the only limit, and as we all know, there is no limit to that.
==Questing for Knighthood==
The best way (from a campaign stance) to become a knight is by completing a quest. Now, traditionally, quests have involved things like recovering the Holy Grail from Mordred and Morgan La Fey, or throwing a cursed ring into a big volcano. However, unless your PC knight wants to wait until 20th level to be truly knighted, it might be better to stick to something smaller.
What kind of quest might do it? Well, that depends a lot on the campaign. If there is a dragon in the land who is a real nuisance to the kingdom, removing it is a pretty big favor for the king. Maybe that dragon is in a very inaccessible place and no one knows where the lair is, turning that information over to His Royal Highness would certainly be worthy of attention. Perhaps someone important was taken by the beast and the trick is to return the prisoner safely. In short, the perceived magnitude of the deed (i.e. did it make a really heroic tale afterwards) is more important than the experience points earned.
Destroying a cursed object might involve nothing more than dropping it in a regular old run-ofthe-mill volcano. Of course, that might still require six months of travelling the high seas at considerable risk.
In all cases, try and let the player make the quest choice. Give him or her as many subtle hints, omens, and portents as you want. but the decision should reflect a personal choice of the player, not an enforced requirement. Accomplishing one's objective feels a lot better when it was their idea.
By the way, don't forget to make the trip worthwhile to the other players. Include equally unique reasons to go along, if the usual quest for random experience, treasure, and high adventure doesn't
boil their blood. However, stress that this time out. It's the knight's chance for glory. Note that a good DM gives similar chances for the other characters as well, but for reasons that must vary from character to character.
==Any Excuse for a Party==
Hooray! The deed is done, the beast vanquished, the accursed artifact destroyed! Now what? Depending on tradition, the ceremonies of knighthood can either be a solemn, private affair or just another excuse for a really big party.
In classic English history, knighthood was a solemn gift, bestowed upon the worthy subject with much pomp and circumstance. The church gave its blessings, as did the king.
However, in lands where the king isn't quite so stuffy, a royal knighthood is often a time of great celebration. A good ruler knows the political value of associating himself quickly with the doers of brave deeds. Also, the oath of fealty to the king from the brave knight adds to the king's prestige immensely.
For purposes of the AD&D game, the following order of events is suggested.
On the day of the ceremony, the capital city and the castle grounds have a carnival-like atmosphere about them. In fact, the monthly Market Day may be rushed or postponed just to take advantage of all of the newcomers attending the ceremony. Such an event is advertised at least a month in advance to get as much of a turnout as possible. It is also not uncommon for the king to waive the Market Tax and provide a pavilion of free food and drink in order to promote a bigger turnout.
At high noon, the ceremonies begin with the most powerful local church presiding. The service will be hosted by the local curate at the very least, and may even merit the attentions of a dean or primate. In all cases, the importance of the knight's social status and the greatness of the deed will determine who conducts the affair. In the case of a multiple knighting which involves individuals from different religions, representatives of each faith will attend the service. Usually, the state religion will assume a leading role, but other compromises are possible.
Once the blessings and sacraments have been performed, the royal procession begins. The king traditionally taps the kneeling knight on each shoulder, uttering some standard secular blessing. It may or may not have religious connotations, depending on the nature of the campaign.
The knight is then expected to kiss the sword of the king as a symbol of subservience to his new lord, and swear open allegiance and fealty before all present. This continues until all eligible persons are knighted.
Hip hip hooray! Now the fun really begins. The townspeople celebrate upwards of a week, until all 
concerned are either drunk, broke, or both. A wise king throws in a fair number of surprises, like free chickens at the market grounds, or a chance to visit the royal stables. If he owns a mount of power, like a dragon or pegasus, he undoubtedly circles the castle and city many times to show off.
In short, make it an interesting affair, full of fun and celebration, but don't forget the adventuring possibilities. Such events are field days for thieves and troublemakers, and if the party starts trouble, they might have to help clean it up afterwards.
Also, as such events are announced in advance, an opposing army amassed nearby (that had remained undetected) surely takes the chance to attack the ill-defended capital, hoping to strike a single killing stroke. Such an attack is certainly dishonorable in the extreme, so make the land and lord in question an infamous one.
However, such an attack is likely to be a random. haphazard affair, and the players might play a major role in turning back the impetuous invaders. If they do, then they earn even more fame and glory. If not, the townspeople are not going to be very pleased about the lack of protection, let alone any unplannedfor change in leadership.
==Demi-Human Celebrations==
Okay, so the humans get drunk, sing a little, and chase members of the opposite sex, but what do other races do at such occasions? While the dwarven and elven versions of chivalry and knighthood are discussed later on, this seems the best place to describe non-human celebrations.
===Elven Parties===
The elves get drunk, sing very well, and chase members of the opposite sex. They take a very lighthearted approach to the ceremony. as they see such spectacles many times over their long life spans. No disrespect is intended. In fact, nothing is more respected than an elven protector.
The wealth spent on such affairs is enormous, but many of the decorations have been used before. Gem-laden strings of mithril wrap the trunks of trees, and gleaming shirts of mithril armor come out of storage for the occasion. Elven parties last for weeks, and little is accomplished during such high festivals.
===Dwarven Parties===
On the other hand, the Dwarves get drunk, sing rather badly, and chase members of the opposite sex. Dwarves take such signs of glory very, very seriously. The high ceremony is attended only by a few and involves a blood-bonding between the lord and his new vassal. Dwarves know war is a serious matter, and glory attained in war is worthy of the highest honor.
However, after the solemn ceremonies are over, the dwarves go crazy for a few weeks just like the elves. Visitors trapped in the dwarven caves during these times may be overwhelmed by the wildness of such a normally solemn race. Still, few who have ever lived through a dwarven celebration will ever experience anything like it again.