The Ranks of Man is a pivotal text in the Holy Empire of Man. Apart from the religious texts of the Church of God, it is the best selling and most read book in the Empire.
The main body of the text lists a long and detailed account of all the various types of humans, subdivided among gender, race, sex, creed, subspecies, planet of origin, etc. and ranks them into an overall imperial hierarchy. Most entries include stereotypical notes about supposed traits of the various clades of humankind. It begins with a detailed account of the Emperor Himself, and works its way on down through all walks of life.
Also included are various acts of loyalty that can raise one’s rank and a list of acts of disloyalty that can lower it. Dying in service to the empire often merits a posthumous promotion, but not always. The lower one starts in the ranks, the more difficult it is to increase in rank. In nearly any social, business, or governmental interaction the party with the higher rank gets the better part of the bargain.
Nearly every imperial official keeps a copy of this text. In the upper echelons of the imperial court and among the nobility, this takes the form of an electronic text, updated to the most current version published by the Hamsa. Among the less socially advantaged, it often takes the form of a paper book. Some version of the Ranks of Man has been produced in every language and every format known to the Empire, and it is required reading to pass any type of higher education.
Every imperial subject is examined at birth and assigned a rank from this book, and their rank is the first entry in their official identification. Nearly every interaction with the government is touched by its contents in some way. Tax collectors consult it when determining a subject’s bill. Judges use it when passing sentences. The police check it before conducting interrogations. The spirit and contents of this book pervade every aspect of imperial life and culture.
