Ranker
Career
Qualifications
To be a Ranker is not a guaranteed question of genealogy, but absolutely a presumed one. Those who enlist by draft are typically submitted through local government bodies or militant capture, made to enroll and adjust to their new life of surveillance. They submit their metahuman traits for review and must accept whatever countermeasures the IRA deems necessary for their continued cooperation.
Those who lack said metahuman traits aren't unqualified to be Rankers, but typically need to offer quite a bit to the organization to be placed in possibility for competing with the likes of the Big Ten or Hundreds.
Those who lack said metahuman traits aren't unqualified to be Rankers, but typically need to offer quite a bit to the organization to be placed in possibility for competing with the likes of the Big Ten or Hundreds.
Career Progression
Moving up in the Ranks is a very clear goal any with an assigned number would acknowledge or imagine right away. After all, the entire concept of a Ranking puts someone at the very top, doesn't it?
A newly-assigned Ranker will, in many cases, be placed in a non-enumerate state where their threat level is not up for consideration. Sometimes, an especially dangerous metahuman ability will place them immediately into a higher ranking, but the norm is to move into the Thousands first by working diligently and making no mistakes in reporting or patrolling. With especially high-profile rescues or cases, it's possible to gain enough notoriety to break into the Hundreds, where an individual is generally considered a success. To break into Double-Digits is a high-value celebrity achievement, noteworthy internationally. To break into the Big Ten is a structure-shaking event that defines an era. It's not every day there's a new long-term member of the Avengers, to compare to classic comics.
A newly-assigned Ranker will, in many cases, be placed in a non-enumerate state where their threat level is not up for consideration. Sometimes, an especially dangerous metahuman ability will place them immediately into a higher ranking, but the norm is to move into the Thousands first by working diligently and making no mistakes in reporting or patrolling. With especially high-profile rescues or cases, it's possible to gain enough notoriety to break into the Hundreds, where an individual is generally considered a success. To break into Double-Digits is a high-value celebrity achievement, noteworthy internationally. To break into the Big Ten is a structure-shaking event that defines an era. It's not every day there's a new long-term member of the Avengers, to compare to classic comics.
Payment & Reimbursement
All Rankers are given stipends for sheltering safely in their native environment, or the relocated environment of their choice. Though some Non-Participants would argue that the stipends barely do enough, the bureaucracy of getting those values changed always comes with active enrollment questions.
Thousands often get enough for rent, along with the occasional C-list local celebrity appearances and access to provisional services. Hundreds are B-listers and can sometimes be recognized even outside of their usual habitats. They receive compensation and notoriety enough to sometimes advertise products. Double Digits are your tried-and-true celebrities: the types who have their own endorsed product lines or businesses, movie deals, and get shout outs at public events they're seen attending. While this kind of attention isn't universal, it's not uncommon for a Double Digit Ranker.
Thousands often get enough for rent, along with the occasional C-list local celebrity appearances and access to provisional services. Hundreds are B-listers and can sometimes be recognized even outside of their usual habitats. They receive compensation and notoriety enough to sometimes advertise products. Double Digits are your tried-and-true celebrities: the types who have their own endorsed product lines or businesses, movie deals, and get shout outs at public events they're seen attending. While this kind of attention isn't universal, it's not uncommon for a Double Digit Ranker.
Perception
Purpose
A Ranker is, in essence, an operative agent for the Rankings Association who is enlisted or drafted into their services, making a choice of active involvement with optimizing and honing their abilities, metahuman or none, to compete in a grand scale of public protectorate and spectacle for the benefit of society.
Social Status
Rankers have intense variance between assigned numbers, from worldwide mega-celebrity to practical unknown. The unifying social strata they share is that they are actively enrolled in a monitoring program that studies and catalogues information about them, willing or no.
Because the most popular of their ranks are so celebrated, many generally hold credibility in the public as figures who stand out for what sets them apart. However, standing out can have varying effects in different cultures, which is what makes their status so difficult to generalize.
Because the most popular of their ranks are so celebrated, many generally hold credibility in the public as figures who stand out for what sets them apart. However, standing out can have varying effects in different cultures, which is what makes their status so difficult to generalize.
Demographics
There are 8 billion human beings in the world, and within that number, less than 500,000 enrolled Rankers in the system, active participants or not. Actively, there's less than 100,000. There has not yet been a need for a sixth digit use in Ranker listings.
Operations
Dangers & Hazards
The clearest form of risk in the occupation is the unreal danger that's been inherent to the role since inception.
The shift from capture-and-control to capture-and-hone in organizational culture led to a presumption that Rankers, for all their stresses and identity issues, are also expected to risk their well-being for the protection of society at large against threats beyond the normal scope of your average paramilitary organization. Stress and injury are both very real threats that are often left thankless by the masses.
Fully aware of this, the IRA pours much of their own resources into protective measures for their agents, as well as services for mental and physical health. Rigid monitoring and regular communication for every active agent is meant to ensure that no tragedy is left festering.
The shift from capture-and-control to capture-and-hone in organizational culture led to a presumption that Rankers, for all their stresses and identity issues, are also expected to risk their well-being for the protection of society at large against threats beyond the normal scope of your average paramilitary organization. Stress and injury are both very real threats that are often left thankless by the masses.
Fully aware of this, the IRA pours much of their own resources into protective measures for their agents, as well as services for mental and physical health. Rigid monitoring and regular communication for every active agent is meant to ensure that no tragedy is left festering.
Alternative Names
Numbers, Capes, IRA dogs, Tagged (antiquated)
Type
Public Services
Legality
Due to the innate risk of 'professional vigilanteism' as a career, especially with Rankers typically having dangerous abilities that put them on the watchlist to begin with, there are strict organizational enforcements for expression of power, public safety, and general 'harmonious' behavior with society at large.
Because the IRA internally audits and reprimands those seen guilty of abuse of power or position, it's rare that the public sees the full image of what goes on within the Ranks, which leads to much at-large distrust of the organization and those whose facades of perfection crack even slightly.
Because the IRA internally audits and reprimands those seen guilty of abuse of power or position, it's rare that the public sees the full image of what goes on within the Ranks, which leads to much at-large distrust of the organization and those whose facades of perfection crack even slightly.
Ranks & Titles
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