Item Seed: Homelite XL-23 “Lincoln” Marine Chainsaw

Homelite XL-23 “Lincoln” Marine Chainsaw

Not ‘Marine’ in the sense of ‘used at sea;’ ‘Marine’ in the sense of ‘militarized, larger version of the venerable Homelite XL-12.’  And it’s definitely a mass-produced military chainsaw, manufactured around 1975 AD or so.  The XL-23 is made of extremely rugged, sturdy materials, with as few moving parts as possible.  It also runs on anything from gasoline to distilled alcohol with surprisingly good results, and is surprisingly light for its fairly large size.   The XL-23 can be operated with one hand, and there are indeed connectors that would be compatible with the ability to install it as a hand prosthetic.

Examining the XL-23 via esoteric means answers certain questions and raises others.  The item is enchanted, but not powerfully or elaborately so. The main casing sports permanent charms for durability, functionality, and lessened weight. The blade chain (which is detachable) is likewise separately enchanted for extra toughness.  The XL-23 cannot cut through everything; but what it can cut through it will eventually do so, and without damaging the blade in the process.  There also seems to be a minor enchantment that makes the chainsaw a reasonably effective bashing weapon, but that might simply be a side effect of the other spells.

But that does lead to the aforementioned raised questions.  Why on earth are there no corporate or military historical records of the XL-23?  Why did the Marines need an enchanted chainsaw? And, most importantly: what possible threat is out there that made this look like an appropriate response, and is it likely to show up again in the very near future?