[Indeed it does— magic is his entire life, his very heart, and his expression grows somber in response to Astarion's questioning.]

Well... that was my first impulse, naturally, but there are other factors to consider. If we've been stripped of our abilities, I have to wonder just how far that extends. Clearly, certain aspects of the tadpoles are still in play, or else you'd have burned up long before you reached me.

[He gestures towards Astarion himself, pausing to raise his glass for another drink.]

I have to consider how regaining my power, or what I had managed to rebuild these past weeks, would not only impact the tadpole, but the orb.

[That's still a thing.]