Attributes
Attributes represent your broad strengths and weaknesses-- from how much weight you can lift to how quickly you react. Whenever the gamemaster asks you to make a test, they're going to tell you that it's a test of a certain attribute. Add that attribute to your level to determine how many dice you're going to roll. Attributes are assigned an initial value in character creation and you can increase them when you level up.
The attributes
Agility measures your physical speed and precision. If you have high Agility, you're probably dexterous, flexible, and swift.
Brawn measures your physical strength and endurance. If you have high Brawn, you're probably strong, athletic, and resistant to maladies.
Intuition measures your gut instincts. If you have high Intuition, you're probably observant, perceptive, and quick to react and adapt to change.
Knowledge measures your memory and problem solving. If you have high Knowledge, you're probably able to solve complicated puzzles, craft sophisticated objects, and remember intricate details.
Presence measures your social skills and natural charm. If you have high Presence, you're probably amiable, convincing, and socially adept.
Will measures your drive and resolve. If you have high Will, you're probably determined, independent, and collected in the face of hardship.
Improving attributes
Whenever you level up, you can increase two attributes by 1, as long as you don't increase them past your attribute cap. The attribute cap is +1 at level 1, and increases by +1 every two levels. That means the cap is +2 at level 3, +3 at level 5, and so on.
Attribute Cap = level/2, rounded up
Passive attribute scores
You don't always have to roll to resist risks! Whenever you are reflexively opposing a risk, your gamemaster will use one of your attribute's passive scores instead of asking you to roll the dice. For each attribute, your passive attribute score increases by 5 every level, and by 10 whenever you increase your attribute.
Passive Score = 5 x level + 10 x attribute
An advisor tests their Presence to manipulate their monarch by feeding them fabrications. Even though the monarch has no reason to suspect the advisor of lying, their experience in politics might tip them off. In this case, that experience is represented by their passive Presence score.
The monarch is a level 4 character with a Presence of +2. Their passive Presence, and the difficulty of the advisor's test, is 5 x 4 + 2 x 10 = 40.
A young wizard tries to tiptoe past their sleeping master, testing their Agility to silently swipe the master's fabled wand, risking getting caught red handed and getting turned into a newt or worse. Because the master is asleep, the difficulty of the test is the master's passive Intuition score-- how likely the master's instincts are to wake them up from the noises their apprentice makes.
The master is a level 5 character with an Intuition of +3. Their passive intuition, and the difficulty of the Apprentice's test, is 5 x 5 + 3 x 10 = 55.