Ranks of the Baatezu
The known castes of baatezu are structured into a rigid hierarchy of rank, delineating the exact order of supremacy each member of their species has over other castes of baatezu.
Promotions and demotions
Promotion between ranks works generally along a simple order of progression from lowest to highest. However, different castes are able to skip intervening ranks along strict paths based on the fiend's personal ambition and capability. Which ranks can be skipped is fairly arbitrary based on current caste, and variance is never allowed in the options available to a baatezu.
Demotion, on the other hand, is a different issue. Though any baatezu can be demoted to any lower caste of baatezu, certain demotions are instead a required part of moving through the ranks, due to otherwise "dead-end" progressions. Both the nupperibo and the amnizu are in such a situation, where further promotion from these ranks is disallowed without first suffering a demotion to a lower rank - to lemure and cornugon respectively.