What comes first: characters or setting?

[Dasquian Belargic]

If you're working on a piece of fiction, that is set in a location of your own creation, what do you create first: the setting itself or the characters that inhabit it?

[Captain Untouchable]

It depends entirely on the situation for me; particularly the style of the situation. Some of the projects I'm working on are very much based around the politics of the story, which I came up with characters to facilitate. Some of them though are about facilitating a particular type of character. Sometimes though, it's more about the plot: one project I wanted to tell a particular style of group-based adventure epic, and then afterwards came up with both characters and a concept to let that happen.

So... I dunno. Yay for my highly conclusive stance. :lol

[Kala'ndryl Ryj]

I always create characters first....they may change drastically to suit the setting more as it develops, but the voices in my head always start the process by demanding to be let out :D

[Tear]

I would say 95% of the time I come up with the idea for a story first. Characters and settings usually come into place after the initial concept.

[Lykaios]

For me, like Tear, story comes first, settings and characters follow in no particular order.

[Crusader]

It works the best for me in the following order when I try to plot a roleplay session as a gamemaster:
Topics: Romance, Betrayel, Trust,...
Twist: How do I surprise my players so that they will remember their quest? How do I make it less standard as possible
Plot: A list of events that is never going to happen in the way I imagine it but this makes a role play intresting
Characters: How to make them different enough so that they are intresting. But how do I keep the illusion that the set of characters belongs into this place
Setting: The setting should reflect all the points above in a way. Characters, plot points or twists will forge the setting naturaly if you do it in this order.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I wish it was plot. :(

Plot is usually last, which is probably why I haven't completed anything non-RP in quite a while. *facepalm*

[Khendon Sevon]

An inkling of an emotional context.

An idea of what overarching theme will dominate the piece.

A key to the map of creative output dictating what my real meaning and velocity will be.