Just a random fact of my campaign world that "may" prove interesting to others.
There is no "common" language per se.
Trade Tongue replaces it, it allows travelers and traders (and adventurers) to communicate basic concepts. Normally not written down.
It is rumored to have been the tongue of an ancient human trading empire.
Trade is usually unknown in less traveled areas and countrysides.
Diplomacy and interaction are at disadvantage with trade, its always better and more polite to speak in the language of the person you are addressing.
Sooo....
Players are used to these concepts and immersed in the world.
On a transitive plane journey, they find an archway that is written in trade..."Woah" they say.
Traveling to other realms, they encounter others that speak trade, usually humans. "Woah, that human trade empire was wide spread" they say.
They encounter a yugoloth fortress, and nearly everything written is in an advanced form of trade. "Why do yugoloths use trade???" they speculate.
They discover there was a human civilization that was widespread across the multiverse, thus the remnants of their language can be found anywhere.
The human civilization fell because the god they followed was arrogant and proudfull, turns out to be the human creator god.
Human creator god does something bad and is destroyed and imprisoned, erased from memory of even most gods. (Hence no human creation myth)
Yugoloths turn out to be remnants of the humans that were corrupted and sided with the evil god in its downfall.
Insane and corrupted yugoloths working to discover and free their god, spread cultists.
Thus, trade tongue ("common") exists because of Tharizdun.
There is no "common" language per se.
Trade Tongue replaces it, it allows travelers and traders (and adventurers) to communicate basic concepts. Normally not written down.
It is rumored to have been the tongue of an ancient human trading empire.
Trade is usually unknown in less traveled areas and countrysides.
Diplomacy and interaction are at disadvantage with trade, its always better and more polite to speak in the language of the person you are addressing.
Sooo....
Players are used to these concepts and immersed in the world.
On a transitive plane journey, they find an archway that is written in trade..."Woah" they say.
Traveling to other realms, they encounter others that speak trade, usually humans. "Woah, that human trade empire was wide spread" they say.
They encounter a yugoloth fortress, and nearly everything written is in an advanced form of trade. "Why do yugoloths use trade???" they speculate.
They discover there was a human civilization that was widespread across the multiverse, thus the remnants of their language can be found anywhere.
The human civilization fell because the god they followed was arrogant and proudfull, turns out to be the human creator god.
Human creator god does something bad and is destroyed and imprisoned, erased from memory of even most gods. (Hence no human creation myth)
Yugoloths turn out to be remnants of the humans that were corrupted and sided with the evil god in its downfall.
Insane and corrupted yugoloths working to discover and free their god, spread cultists.
Thus, trade tongue ("common") exists because of Tharizdun.