Guin Saga. It's only real downside is that it only covers the first 16 light novels in a very, very, very long story; the author of which, sadly passed away in 2009. There are some 130 light novels in this story, btw.
But, it's still a grand example of epic fantasy anime with all the things you said you're looking for. Initially, I dropped it after one episode, because of a character with a leopard head, but boy (yes, I can be very shallow at times
). Went back to it a year or two later on the recommendation of a friend, and slapped myself silly for being so dumb.
It's not as say...dark as Berserk (the author of Berserk drew a lot of inspiration from Guin Saga), but it's also not as light as many of the classics in this genre, such as Escaflowne, etc.
I'm not sure why, but it got very little attention here in the west (maybe the leopard head?), which is a shame. I think it's one of the most underappreciated/watched anime of the last few years (2009).