Or make all skills passively grow with age, so that the guy who has led men into a thousand battle isn't on the same footing as the guy who just began his career. Pass it off as passive training, and have it cap at, say, 32. +2% per year to all skills until then, making it so that all old established characters have a flat 30% skill advantage over characters who were just created. Those who want to reach elite skills can still use the normal means to boost it quicker and further.
Or use battles instead of age for the same effect.
Really, just about anything to help experienced characters that don't visit academies a skill level that is more reflective of what it should be.
Then, you'd see more of these high ranking nobles accept duel challenges.
