He left a multitude of bastard children though. Some of them with very strong claims to the throne. The most convincing was Prince Orm and his wife Alena, Prince Orm was a definite bastard of the Emperor, since his father had been sterile from illness (mumps) since before Orm was born. His wife, Lady Alena Gallendil's mother, Elven Ambassadress Galendil stated that Alena's father was either Colun IV or Victor Donovan. With such a strong claim to the throne, it seemed that they would take the crown as co-rulers.
It was not to be. Colmson Pentdracen made a claim to the Imperial Throne. Apparently tracing back the Pentdracen line of Colm, the Assassin, it went back to the initial Emperor; Arthic Pentdracen. While the line had been previously assumed to have been extinguished long before the Colun Dynasty had come to power through marriage, the Priests of Polis quickly verified and condoned Pentdracen's claim to be descended from Arthic Pentdracen.
This was a muddy claim at best, even if true. The Pentdracens had not ruled the Human Empire in a thousand years.
There were others who decided to stake a claim to the throne. Most of them had little to no political power, and were rejected out of hand. Then perhaps the worst possible thing could have happened. In an effort to avoid multiple wars, Victor Donovan an elder statesmen and master of political maneuverings and current Lord of Corridor, sent a letter suggesting to Pentdracen and Orm to make promises to the various claimants if they were to swear fealty and give up their claims to the Throne.
Donovan had the best intentions, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. He thought it would quickly and decisively decide the Emperor. It didn't. It caused almost a larger problem then what would have happened anyway. The Empire split in two. The division almost happened along geographic lines perfectly.
There were some hold outs. Ryven Basalt for one was more behind Orm, until his eldest daughter left Percy Ramirez at the alter, and eloped with Pentdracen. There was thought of coerresion, but I did not detect any. That alliance of marriage placed the previously staunch Ormist into the Pentdracen camp. The heart break of his daughter betraying him caused him to have a heart attack and pass.
Gnorm, the Chosen of Garl Glittergold, had been supporting of his friend Orm, until Pentdracen gave the gnomes a whole township on the border of the Basalt Lands and Dwarven Territory.
Applebottom's Mayor Leesa Nunez-Colmson, had been a staunch supporter of neutrality until Pentdracen tried to have her husband assassinated. She then joined with Orm.
The Cult, whose power had already been weakened by Pentdracen, primarily left Crynin (the traditional seat of the Cult), to join Lord Canaan who had taken up in Orm's seat of power, the rebuilt Arthic. They sealed away all of their Stores in the North, and opened them in the South.
The only place that remained truly neutral was Crynin, lead by High Lord Percival Montague Ramirez. The only Barony that followed him was the Banelands, who had innate problems with a Paladin King, being necromancers, and a long enduring feud with the progeny of Colm.
The small vassal states of the Human Empire swore allegiance to the Two Kings. There was no more Empire, only the Black Kingdom of the Black Blood and the White Kingdom of the Holy Paladin.