Please Internet, not another list of vapid celebrity shills all spouting their undying love for Angry Birds. No more putrid publicity sponges, no more preening plastics. No more 'famous for the sake of it' types all carping on about their 'Call of Destiny' addictions. Tell me this: when did actual talent take a big back seat to owning the best-dressed Chihuahua? *intense, frothy-mouthed rage begins* But I digress… This list isn't about those sorts of celebrities, oh no. GamesRadar+ dosen't play that way, and neither it seems do our 12 famous gamers.

These are the (genuinely) notable names who actually do play games. Busy people with big careers, who still find the time to indulge their virtual vices. Some act, others fight, while a great many attempt to make us laugh. What's more - most of them are actually good at it, having achieved their careers than pissing themselves outside of a nightclub, and/or being papped brawling inside of a Burger King. Begin!

Who? - Picture a heavily anesthetised, flesh-coloured bowling ball. Et Voila: Vin Diesel. Best known for playing Dominic Toretto in the Fast Furious franchise and Riddick in the, er, Riddick series, Big Vin has also lent his considerable talents/bassy whale noises to Guardians of the Galaxy and The Iron Giant.

Gaming street cred - According to the big man himself, Diesel's geekery began with tabletop gaming, an activity into which he admits pouring countless hours. Next came video games, including a small but significant number of his own creations, including the critically acclaimed Xbox shooter Escape From Butcher Bay. Diesel's Tigon Studios has since worked on three more titles, including the underwhelming Wheelman, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (released alongside an updated Butcher Bay) and a Riddick iOS adventure, before shutting down and later recommencing work in September of 2013.

Favourite games? - While Vin's DD obsession is well documented, the man's video gaming habits remain something of a mystery. That being said, we do know that Diesel plays World of Warcraft, having released a video of himself roaming the lands of Azeroth alongside the late Paul Walker.

Who? - An oftentimes zany, if thoroughly endearing comic presence who appeared in dozens of celebrated roles. Williams made his name in stand up, before moving on to television and later film.

Gaming street cred - Of all the famous faces included on this list, Robin Williams was perhaps the biggest and best known gamer of the bunch, taking seemingly every opportunity to discuss his digital pastime. Numerous interviews all attest to the man's deep appreciation for the medium, including, but not limited to, late night play sessions, trash talking contests, and an-up-to date knowledge of the latest gaming trends. Oh, and he also named his daughter after Zelda's titular princess. Credibility level: One-hundred million bajillion.

Favourite games? - The Legend of Zelda, Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Half-Life, Portal, Battlefield

Who? - The dominant power in women's MMA, Rousey remains best known for her unusual fight celebrations, which typically involve pulling someone's arm off and then using it to high five everyone in attendance. She's also appeared in a number of big budget Hollywood action movies, including Furious 7 and The Expendables 3.

Gaming street cred - Rousey has spoken at length regarding her obsessive love of Pokémon games, having owned every iteration of the franchise to date, including titles hailing from the same generation, i.e. both Red and Blue. Speaking of Blue, Rousey's first dip into the Pokémon series currently logs well over 200 hours of gameplay, just for that one title alone. Multiply that by 24 mainline and dozens more spin-off titles and you have one truly hardcore gamer.

Favourite games? - Anything vaguely Pokémon, with the exception of Pokémon Pinball.

Who? - A man so fantastically British he even has the White Cliffs of Dover for a face, sort of. Craggy, weather worn and yet somehow massively enchanting - or so the ladies tell me - Craig portrays the current iteration of James 'the STI conveyor belt' Bond.

Gaming street cred - In between stints of saving Britain, hitting the gym and/or inspiring mass hysteria down at the beach, Craig admits to wiling away the hours within a number of expansive and narrative-heavy video games. Action titles are also fair game, though somewhat quicker to outstay their welcome. "Those ultra-violent ones I can play for half-an-hour and then I feel dirty. ‘Vice City’, for example - I think, ‘Oh yes, all right, I’ve stolen 18 cars. I’ve had enough now". What a guy.

Favourite games? - Halo, Red Dead Redemption, Guitar Hero

Who? - Kal-El, son of Jor-El, hails from the planet Krypton. His hobbies include flying, costume design and violent chiropractic medicine. Sorry, Zod.

Gaming street cred - Cavill's love of gaming is probably best expressed by the following Superman-related anecdote. Having already auditioned for the role, Cavill was nervously awaiting news of his casting when director Zack Snyder called up at an inopportune moment. “I saw it was him [on the line] but the thing is, you can’t save World of Warcraft, you can’t pause it. It’s live". Suffice to say that Cavill opted to carry on playing, only returning the call and accepting the job offer of a lifetime later that day. Hats off to you Henry.

Favourite games? - World or Warcraft, Skyrim

Who? - An advanced human-pooch hybrid, capable of laconic, laid back rap. Snoop currently heads up the Feisman institute for lingual research, where he is presently engaged in the 10-year development of a suitable rhyme for 'orange'.

Gaming street cred - The 'D-O-double-G' has been skirting the player/player divide for a long old time, having even attempted to get his own GTA clone - aka Fear Respect - off the ground back in the mid-2000s. Snoop has also appeared in a range of other games, including True Crime: Streets of New York, Def Jam: Fight for NY and as a special announcer in 2013's Call of Duty: Ghosts. What's more, the iconic Californian-born rapper even started up his own musicians-only games tournament - the Hip-Hop Gaming League - hosting the last such event in 2007.

Favourite games? - Madden, NBA2K, FIFA

Who? - Prolific comedy actor best known for his roles as Gob Bluth in Arrested Development and as the voice of Batman in The Lego Movie. Founding member of the Magician's Alliance.

Gaming street cred - Unlike the vast majority of the preening celebrity pitch men brought in to shill video games, Will Arnett is an actual bona fide gamer. So much so in fact that the man's short-lived XBL comedy series 'Game Chat' was actually dreamed up by Arnett himself. The show's core concept - that of 3 friends hanging out and playing brand new video games (Xbox marketing's contribution) - was partially inspired by the actor's own experiences of playing online. So, just who does a man like Will Arnett choose to party up with - well, just about anyone really, as the comic admits he's never once been outed online. More regular teammates include fellow actors Jason Bateman, Jerry O'Connell, and Justin Theroux.

Favourite games? - Call of Duty, Zoo Tycoon, Forza Motorsport

Who? - An ebullient Irish comic, Ó Briain also hosts the long running TV panel show Mock the Week. A household name in the United Kingdom, Ó Briain once tried to translate the dreary, mathematical, non-exploding bits of high school science into mainstream TV. He failed, or err... succeeded, depending on how you look at it.

Gaming street cred - Ó Briain hosted the British Academy Game Awards for a whopping six years in a row, and has admitted that his familiarity with the medium often surprised organisers more used to dealing with less involved hosts. Not only that, but the celebrated stand up has also incorporated many game-related jokes into his regular comic routines, discussing everything from 'video game logic' to outdated views on the hobby.

Favourite games? - Metal Gear Solid, Mass Effect 2, Skyrim, Portal, FIFA

Who? - Mila Kunis may sound like the name of a bizarre Eastern European delicacy, probably composed of some old spinach, cow's eyes and gruel, but she's actually a female human - who acts! Yes, Mila has appeared in all sorts of fare over the years, from light-hearted comedies, to the occasional sci-fi mega flop. Oh and she's also responsible for voicing Meg Griffin in Family Guy. Lucky girl.

Gaming street cred - Technically speaking, Kunis may well fall into the 'lapsed gamer' category, though given the dates involved, it's clear that the actress was still playing away up until a relatively short time ago. This was no Candy Crush addiction either, Kunis was a big time World of Warcraft enthusiast, oftentimes engaging in all-day play sessions. Sadly, it seems that over time many of Kunis' friends moved on from the title, eventually gutting the fun factor and forcing Mila to bid her adieus to Azeroth.

Favourite games? - World of Warcraft, Settlers of Catan

Who? - The archetypal slacker made good, Jack Black divides his time between acting, comedy and music making, combining all three in the character of Jables, lead singer for the comic rock band Tenacious D.

Gaming street cred - Jack Black may well be the least surprising entrant on this list, what with his working relationship with Double Fine Studios and general 'gamer guy' vibe. Black asserts that his interest in gaming began with the original Space Invaders and continued on until at least the time of the original Xbox - though given his involvement in the industry these days, it's entirely possible he's playing as hard as ever. He once sent a picture of himself 'flipping the bird' to the good folks at Bizarre Creations while standing next to an expert mode completion screen. His reasoning: "[Project Gotham Racing] was so fucking hard to conquer on expert mode, to get all Platinum medals in all the events. I was so angry at them for making something so hard that when I conquered it I took a picture […] that proved I conquered it.” Now who hasn’t thought about doing that?

Favourite games? - Project Gotham Racing, Scramble, Marble Madness

Who? - An enormously successful stand up comedian and star of the cult hit sketch show that bears his name. Chappelle's 'Tyrone Biggums' remains the Internet's number one choice in famished crackhead meme making.

Gaming street cred - Chappelle has been known to make reference to video games as part of his stand up comedy routine, and has also parodied the medium on Chappelle's Show. Most notable is his on-point pastiche of the ultra-violent world of Grand Theft Auto, complete with erratic animations and everyday car-jacking antics.

Favourite games? - World of Warcraft, Grand Theft Auto

Who? - An evil, leather-clad, play-fighting champion. Rollins refers to himself as 'the future of the WWE' and maintains a strong, if entirely scripted contempt for The Daily Show's Jon Stewart. Styles himself after Pepé Le Pew.

Gaming street cred - Rollins recently appeared on fellow pro-wrestler Xavier Woods' , sitting down to play Turtles in Time while discussing his video gaming habits. The self-proclaimed 'Architect of The Shield' - that's the tag-team, not the cop show, admitted to being something of a rage-filled perfectionist during his youth, routinely smashing TV sets after failing to maintain optimum stats within Madden. One noteworthy incident involved a young Rollins - real name Colby Lopez - violently snapping after a buddy made the mistake of mocking the defeated perfectionist. Aggressive, narcissistic, and with an obvious contempt for his friends, it's easy to see how the slimy Seth Rollins character came about.

Favourite games? - The Madden series, Turtles in Time, Batman: Arkham Knight

Destiny’s lore is vast and complex, but you’ll only be exposed to it if you go looking for it. Why? Because much of it exists in the Grimoire cards – the out-of-game encyclopaedia you unlock as you play. If you actually go and read those small bits of text on bungie.net or the companion app you’ll find some fascinating stories about the characters, guns, enemies, and much more.

The best thing about it all? The stories are still incomplete. Players are still uncovering the mysteries of Destiny’s universe, piecing together weapon descriptions, Grimoire text and spoken dialogue to understand the overall picture. There is some truly amazing storytelling in Destiny and, while the hunt for Destiny’s tales is something every player must undertake themselves, here is just a small glimpse of the secret narrative threads woven deep into the game.

Want to read more on Destiny? Then pick up a copy of the GamesRadar+ Presents Bookazine .

Finishing Destiny's first raid was quite the team effort with it's winding paths, challenging bosses, and teamwork-focused trials. But all that cooperation would all be for naught if Kabr and his fellow guardians didn't explore the Vault first. See, there's a relic in the Vault of Glass that is essential to defeating the Templar and Atheon himself, and Kabr was the one who made it.

The Grimoire says that Kabr entered the Vault on his own, killed a Gorgon (a Vex that erases your existence from time), and crafted a light-infused shield for future guardians to use against the Vex. After he created the relic, Kabr was assimilated by the Vex and disappeared leaving only his armor to be found by other Titans.

If you've been playing Destiny, you've seen this guy's name all over item descriptions and bounties. Well, it turns out, he is a very important character. Toland is a Guardian, but not the heroic kind of Guardian. He's more of a mad scientist type. He studied the Hive, and was actually one of the Guardians in Eris Morn's (the creepy-eyed lady that shows up in the Tower with the Dark Below DLC) fireteam that attempted to destroy Crota before the rest of us got a crack at him.

Toland delved into the dark side. He studied the Darkness to such a degree that he was able to commune with it, resulting in him hearing voices, creating dark weapons like the exotic pulse rifle Bad Juju, and experiencing all sorts of unpleasant things. Because other guardians thought he'd gone too far, he was exiled from the city for his practices and considered him a madman, but some Guardians thought his knowledge invaluable. Toland definitely lives in a the grey area between good and evil. Hopefully we'll see him return in the future.

Who or what is the Traveler? Yeah, it's that floating moon thing hanging over the city and it somehow gives the Guardians their powers, but that's pretty much everything the in-game narrative tells you. In the Dreams of Alpha Lupi Grimoire cards, you get a little more detail on what the Traveler is through rather interesting poetic verse detailing visions of the solar system, the Traveler, and the Darkness.

There are a few details to pull from the cards. The Traveler isn't actually the floating sphere you see from the tower, but is a god that drags a moon-sized ball around that contains its memories. For untold eons it's traveled around solar systems establishing civilizations and terraforming worlds. Most importantly, it ushered humanity into the Golden Age. But all that creation work the Traveler was doing came to a grinding halt when the Darkness started chasing after it. Eventually the Darkness caught up to the Traveler, stripped it of it's power, and left a husk hovering over Earth.

When you fire up Destiny for the first time, you're treated to a cinematic showing astronauts landing on Mars and finding a giant, floating sphere. If you collect the right Grimoire cards you'll find the backstory behind this scene detailing the astronaut Jacob Hardy and his crew's discovery of the Traveler. This is the time before the Golden Age, when humans were basically living like we do now, except, they have things like lightspeed travel. The Traveler had been spotted jumping around our solar system and eventually landed on Mars. Because the alien object was coming a bit too close for comfort, humanity decided to investigate.

This event was essentially the equivalent of the real life moon landing (but in the Destiny universe). The Ares 1 crew was the first expedition to investigate the alien sphere on Mars, Jacob Hardy said the famous words, "We're walking into a rising wind," upon setting foot on the planet, and they made contact with the Traveler. What's most interesting about the tale, is that after being exposed to the Traveler's Light, Jacob Hardy inherited a longer life span, saying he felt like a young man at 90 years old.

The next two slides are connected so pay attention. This Wild West tale is told from the perspective of a young boy living in a backwater town ruled by an abusive magistrate named Loken. One day the mysterious Jaren Ward, a Guardian, walks into the town carrying the hand cannon, The Last Word, and at some point (which isn't entirely clear in the Grimoire) rids the townsfolk of their dictator with a lightning fast draw and a bullet between the eyes. The last exchange between to two men: "Those gonna be your last words then, boy?" said Loken. POW. "Yours, not mine," Jaren replied. Pretty badass, huh?

Yup, Jaren Ward is the righteous hero. Eventually, it seems the young boy becomes a Guardian years later and joins up with the hunter Jaren Ward and his group (probably though , lol). The last time the young Guardian hears of Jaren Ward was the sound of a duel between Jaren's Last Word and something "more sinister." And without formation from the Grimoire, we're left with a cliffhanger. That is, until you read about Thorn and the evil Dredgen Yor.

Dredgen Yor's story tells of a once great man and hero who looked to the secrets of the Hive to find a way to destroy the Darkness. But it seems, that the fallen hero lost control because of the evil magic from the Hive weapon Thorn, and got really tired of being a good guy. Once a champion of the Crucible, Yor turns to the dark side, and becomes responsible for the murder of several guardians and more .

The details on the character are still pretty scattered, but one theory out there links Dredgen Yor to the guardian Jaren Ward. As in, they are both the same person. Yor is said to have killed Ward in a duel, but other clues in the Grimoire cards suggest that the two are of the same body. It seems Ward was seduced by the Darkness. The Guardian ceased to be Jaren Ward and became Dredgen Yor. And when that happened, the good man that was Jaren Ward was destroyed. So, what the Grimoire tells us is true - from a certain point of view. Sounds like a familiar plotline, right (hint: Star Wars)? Even Jaren Ward's adopted son grows up to become the hunter that kills Dredgen Yor with the Last Word!

Something strange happens during The Archive mission on Venus – something you probably registered once and then glossed over with every repeated Daily playthrough. When you step into the Archive, you’re called Dr Shim – and your Ghost brushes it off as nothing. While it could be nothing more than your Ghost using Dr Shim’s credentials to power up the bunker (some fans have speculated you play as a revived Dr Shim, which seems unlikely given the evidence, while others instead prefer the theory that you’re Jaren Ward’s protégé Shin Malphur), reading into Dr Shim’s story uncovers a great subplot involving research into the Vex that uncovered a higher definition, but otherwise complete and intact, virtual simulation of the real world inside the Vex’s mind.

When four researchers discovered simulations of themselves debating that very topic inside the Vex mind, it sparked a discussion about reality versus unreality, the morality of preserving their simulated selves over pulling the plug, and whether the Warmind is capable of infiltrating the Vex consciousness and rescuing the simulations of humans. And you thought Inception was complicated.

You’ve seen their decals on the side of weapons and you’ve probably completed many a mission for this faction, but did you know that Future War Cult was formed around a machine called The Device that could predict the future? The FWC Grimoire entry records this story in detail: those who entered The Device were sent mad by the visions (which predicted the Darkness’ coming and the destruction of mankind), so FWC needed to employ stronger minds to help withstand these sights without breaking.

And while not explicitly clear, the inference is that FWC either created, or discovered and repaired, the Exo in order to shoulder this job for them. Which brings us to the Exo Stranger. She’s clearly an important part of the story and we haven’t yet seen the last of her. And consider this: the Stranger’s Rifle she gifts you at the end of the main questline contains parts that shouldn’t yet exist…

During the main game’s story and The Dark Below, we come to learn plenty about Rasputin – the last surviving Warmind. Tasked with protecting humanity – a mission Rasputin believed impossible when the Darkness arrived – the Warmind changed his core’s programming and implemented the MIDNIGHT EXIGENT protocol; eventually powering down to survive the Darkness’ attack.

However, analysis of the Grimoire cards points to a much darker tale during the Darkness’ arrival. Without official confirmation this story teeters on the edge of conspiracy theory, but throughout Destiny we’re told that our souls are Light – and that Rasputin knew that Light must be harnessed to defeat the Darkness. After launching colony ships from the Cosmodrome to protect what little of humanity Rasputin could, the Warmind had to alter his own code in order to then sacrifice the rest of mankind on Earth to stand a chance in the battle against the Darkness, birthing the Awoken in the process.

Have you been following Destiny's lore like I have? Do you have any favorite stories? Have you pieced together any interesting tales? Keep searching for those grimoire cards and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Want more from GamesRadar? Check out our list of 2015's most anticipated games.

Destiny’s lore is vast and complex, but you’ll only be exposed to it if you go looking for it. Why? Because much of it exists in the Grimoire cards – the out-of-game encyclopaedia you unlock as you play. If you actually go and read those small bits of text on bungie.net or the companion app you’ll find some fascinating stories about the characters, guns, enemies, and much more.

The best thing about it all? The stories are still incomplete. Players are still uncovering the mysteries of Destiny’s universe, piecing together weapon descriptions, Grimoire text and spoken dialogue to understand the overall picture. There is some truly amazing storytelling in Destiny and, while the hunt for Destiny’s tales is something every player must undertake themselves, here is just a small glimpse of the secret narrative threads woven deep into the game.

Want to read more on Destiny? Then pick up a copy of the GamesRadar+ Presents Bookazine .

Finishing Destiny's first raid was quite the team effort with it's winding paths, challenging bosses, and teamwork-focused trials. But all that cooperation would all be for naught if Kabr and his fellow guardians didn't explore the Vault first. See, there's a relic in the Vault of Glass that is essential to defeating the Templar and Atheon himself, and Kabr was the one who made it.

The Grimoire says that Kabr entered the Vault on his own, killed a Gorgon (a Vex that erases your existence from time), and crafted a light-infused shield for future guardians to use against the Vex. After he created the relic, Kabr was assimilated by the Vex and disappeared leaving only his armor to be found by other Titans.

If you've been playing Destiny, you've seen this guy's name all over item descriptions and bounties. Well, it turns out, he is a very important character. Toland is a Guardian, but not the heroic kind of Guardian. He's more of a mad scientist type. He studied the Hive, and was actually one of the Guardians in Eris Morn's (the creepy-eyed lady that shows up in the Tower with the Dark Below DLC) fireteam that attempted to destroy Crota before the rest of us got a crack at him.

Toland delved into the dark side. He studied the Darkness to such a degree that he was able to commune with it, resulting in him hearing voices, creating dark weapons like the exotic pulse rifle Bad Juju, and experiencing all sorts of unpleasant things. Because other guardians thought he'd gone too far, he was exiled from the city for his practices and considered him a madman, but some Guardians thought his knowledge invaluable. Toland definitely lives in a the grey area between good and evil. Hopefully we'll see him return in the future.

Who or what is the Traveler? Yeah, it's that floating moon thing hanging over the city and it somehow gives the Guardians their powers, but that's pretty much everything the in-game narrative tells you. In the Dreams of Alpha Lupi Grimoire cards, you get a little more detail on what the Traveler is through rather interesting poetic verse detailing visions of the solar system, the Traveler, and the Darkness.

There are a few details to pull from the cards. The Traveler isn't actually the floating sphere you see from the tower, but is a god that drags a moon-sized ball around that contains its memories. For untold eons it's traveled around solar systems establishing civilizations and terraforming worlds. Most importantly, it ushered humanity into the Golden Age. But all that creation work the Traveler was doing came to a grinding halt when the Darkness started chasing after it. Eventually the Darkness caught up to the Traveler, stripped it of it's power, and left a husk hovering over Earth.

When you fire up Destiny for the first time, you're treated to a cinematic showing astronauts landing on Mars and finding a giant, floating sphere. If you collect the right Grimoire cards you'll find the backstory behind this scene detailing the astronaut Jacob Hardy and his crew's discovery of the Traveler. This is the time before the Golden Age, when humans were basically living like we do now, except, they have things like lightspeed travel. The Traveler had been spotted jumping around our solar system and eventually landed on Mars. Because the alien object was coming a bit too close for comfort, humanity decided to investigate.

This event was essentially the equivalent of the real life moon landing (but in the Destiny universe). The Ares 1 crew was the first expedition to investigate the alien sphere on Mars, Jacob Hardy said the famous words, "We're walking into a rising wind," upon setting foot on the planet, and they made contact with the Traveler. What's most interesting about the tale, is that after being exposed to the Traveler's Light, Jacob Hardy inherited a longer life span, saying he felt like a young man at 90 years old.

The next two slides are connected so pay attention. This Wild West tale is told from the perspective of a young boy living in a backwater town ruled by an abusive magistrate named Loken. One day the mysterious Jaren Ward, a Guardian, walks into the town carrying the hand cannon, The Last Word, and at some point (which isn't entirely clear in the Grimoire) rids the townsfolk of their dictator with a lightning fast draw and a bullet between the eyes. The last exchange between to two men: "Those gonna be your last words then, boy?" said Loken. POW. "Yours, not mine," Jaren replied. Pretty badass, huh?

Yup, Jaren Ward is the righteous hero. Eventually, it seems the young boy becomes a Guardian years later and joins up with the hunter Jaren Ward and his group (probably though , lol). The last time the young Guardian hears of Jaren Ward was the sound of a duel between Jaren's Last Word and something "more sinister." And without formation from the Grimoire, we're left with a cliffhanger. That is, until you read about Thorn and the evil Dredgen Yor.

Dredgen Yor's story tells of a once great man and hero who looked to the secrets of the Hive to find a way to destroy the Darkness. But it seems, that the fallen hero lost control because of the evil magic from the Hive weapon Thorn, and got really tired of being a good guy. Once a champion of the Crucible, Yor turns to the dark side, and becomes responsible for the murder of several guardians and more .

The details on the character are still pretty scattered, but one theory out there links Dredgen Yor to the guardian Jaren Ward. As in, they are both the same person. Yor is said to have killed Ward in a duel, but other clues in the Grimoire cards suggest that the two are of the same body. It seems Ward was seduced by the Darkness. The Guardian ceased to be Jaren Ward and became Dredgen Yor. And when that happened, the good man that was Jaren Ward was destroyed. So, what the Grimoire tells us is true - from a certain point of view. Sounds like a familiar plotline, right (hint: Star Wars)? Even Jaren Ward's adopted son grows up to become the hunter that kills Dredgen Yor with the Last Word!

Something strange happens during The Archive mission on Venus – something you probably registered once and then glossed over with every repeated Daily playthrough. When you step into the Archive, you’re called Dr Shim – and your Ghost brushes it off as nothing. While it could be nothing more than your Ghost using Dr Shim’s credentials to power up the bunker (some fans have speculated you play as a revived Dr Shim, which seems unlikely given the evidence, while others instead prefer the theory that you’re Jaren Ward’s protégé Shin Malphur), reading into Dr Shim’s story uncovers a great subplot involving research into the Vex that uncovered a higher definition, but otherwise complete and intact, virtual simulation of the real world inside the Vex’s mind.

When four researchers discovered simulations of themselves debating that very topic inside the Vex mind, it sparked a discussion about reality versus unreality, the morality of preserving their simulated selves over pulling the plug, and whether the Warmind is capable of infiltrating the Vex consciousness and rescuing the simulations of humans. And you thought Inception was complicated.

You’ve seen their decals on the side of weapons and you’ve probably completed many a mission for this faction, but did you know that Future War Cult was formed around a machine called The Device that could predict the future? The FWC Grimoire entry records this story in detail: those who entered The Device were sent mad by the visions (which predicted the Darkness’ coming and the destruction of mankind), so FWC needed to employ stronger minds to help withstand these sights without breaking.

And while not explicitly clear, the inference is that FWC either created, or discovered and repaired, the Exo in order to shoulder this job for them. Which brings us to the Exo Stranger. She’s clearly an important part of the story and we haven’t yet seen the last of her. And consider this: the Stranger’s Rifle she gifts you at the end of the main questline contains parts that shouldn’t yet exist…

During the main game’s story and The Dark Below, we come to learn plenty about Rasputin – the last surviving Warmind. Tasked with protecting humanity – a mission Rasputin believed impossible when the Darkness arrived – the Warmind changed his core’s programming and implemented the MIDNIGHT EXIGENT protocol; eventually powering down to survive the Darkness’ attack.

However, analysis of the Grimoire cards points to a much darker tale during the Darkness’ arrival. Without official confirmation this story teeters on the edge of conspiracy theory, but throughout Destiny we’re told that our souls are Light – and that Rasputin knew that Light must be harnessed to defeat the Darkness. After launching colony ships from the Cosmodrome to protect what little of humanity Rasputin could, the Warmind had to alter his own code in order to then sacrifice the rest of mankind on Earth to stand a chance in the battle against the Darkness, birthing the Awoken in the process.

Have you been following Destiny's lore like I have? Do you have any favorite stories? Have you pieced together any interesting tales? Keep searching for those grimoire cards and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Want more from GamesRadar? Check out our list of 2015's most anticipated games.