Forever locked at 0 control

[left sun]

well what's causing the cities to give -25% control

Because it looks like you decided to take a tradition that gave -25% control per city and decided to build four cities in a county.

So it feels like a "you brought this on yourself" situation

[gilded wagon]

idk I think that's still a bit silly

[floral wadi]

It is but it shouldn’t lock you from control gain

Had to build a duchy building I didn’t want to increase control gain alongside a building in the castle

[versed field]

Yet another reason multiplicative modifiers should stack geometrically, not additively.