Dark Fantasy and Magic

[theshadow99]

Ok, I've had an idea spurred from a Russian culture and history class I'm taking... Which is a setting based on folklore and mythology from the Dark Ages.

The biggest problem I'm having with setting up the world it's set in is magic... Ok, magic ability among humans is rare enough it needs unusual background... But how else do I really model a Dark Ages take on magic...?

I'm looking to use the concept templates of dungeon fantasy for most characters which works fine until we hit magic, which in GURPS I just don't have much experience with... I own the books, it's just rare I do a true fantasy game these days...

So, some isues...

Bards: I'd like bards since the tradition fits, but I doubt I want them to use 'magic' per se... Does Bard Song act to much like conventional magic it needs an unusual background to...?

Clerics (ie 'Priests'): Most priests are educated men (and women) of the monotheistic former imperial religion, most aren't magical... Though often they have artistic, medicial, and writing skills most don't. Some however are actually 'mages' and so have powers they attribute to god. Two separate templates? Or one more diverse maybe...? Or possibly Scholar (DF4 pg. 8) Clerics and Mage Clerics built like the main template?

Druid (ie 'Shaman'): A nature oriented Pagan, who either is actually a 'mage' or knows 'secret knowledge' of some sort that people take to be magic... It has the same issue as Clerics... Possibly a sort of 'Artificer (DF4 pg. 5) Shaman and a 'Mage Shaman' built along the main template?

Holy Warriors/Paladins seem fine... unless I've missed something...

Wizards are the big problem though... or maybe not... Is a unusual background enough to make them more 'dark and unusual'? Should I look into creating a Magical Style for them? Or even more then one?