they've been dead that was the number 10 thing that nick had was it?
http://forums.spiralknights.com/en/node/20773

we all died during the crash the support pods couldn't stop the force exerted on the knights on impact...

every time a knight teleports or moves from place to place a spirit comes from them
this happens every time you go into the ready room so every player could see this occur...
it happens when you see another knight come to haven as well...

note this also happen to one of the enemies that are considered as the *undead* class when you defeat them.... the Almirian Crusader which are similar to us knights

there also the fact of lost souls in the knight grave yard and how they drift from the graves

it could also explain the armor and costume things with different contrast to them

I noticed this a while ago and shrugged the idea but now when I found the old ten things you don't know about spiral knights this kinda comes to mine