Slonk was born in the Murkmire Marshlands to a small Goblinoid tribe, and spent most of his life following others. Large even by Bobgoblin standards, he possessed an easygoing disposition and generally preferred simple solutions to complicated problems. He attached himself to Yuzzik early in life and rarely questioned his companion's plans, accepting whatever explanations were given to him. While friendlier and less aggressive than Yuzzik, Slonk had few moral objections to theft, violence, or betrayal if they promised food, coin, or comfort. He wascared for his friends, but was not particularly principled.
When Yuzzik joined Ipgrix the Go-Getter's growing smuggling operation, Slonk followed without hesitation and was immediately loyal to his new Captain. He became bosun of the Go-Getter Goblins, responsible for maintaining the vessels and overseeing physical labor aboard the fleet. His strength, agility, and willingness to throw himself into dangerous work made him useful despite his shortcomings. Slonk could climb rigging, haul cargo, and perform difficult manual tasks with ease, often accomplishing jobs that would have required several smaller goblins. Unfortunately, he possessed little formal training and frequently caused problems through carelessness, misunderstanding instructions, or attempting repairs beyond his abilities. More than one voyage was delayed because Slonk had confidently "fixed" something that was not broken.
Despite these issues, Slonk remained one of the most dependable members of the Go-Getter Goblins and was among the few people Ipgrix trusted completely. When the pirate crew was mostly captured in a sting operation, the bobgoblin escaped Fang's End alongside Yuzzik and the quartermaster Eliwyse Widdershins in an unmarked dinghy. They headed back northeast to the Marshlands after their captain's arrest, but the bobgoblin spent most of the journey caught between the constant arguments of his companions. Once they touched down on shore, Eliwyse abandoned them and stole their supplies, through no real fault of Slonk's.
He followed Yuzzik into the Murkmire Marshlands, and the pair soon found themselves fleeing from Lizardfolk warriors. Their escape led them into a cave that concealed an entrance to the Undermire. Slonk and Yuzzik survived in the Deepways for a time before being captured by a militia patrol from Little Lockford and thrown into prison. Unlike Yuzzik, who spent his confinement complaining and plotting, Slonk adapted quickly to imprisonment and was largely content so long as he was fed regularly. He remained in custody until the events of the Big Little Lockford Lockdown, still following Yuzzik's lead and still believing that Captain Ipgrix would eventually return for them.