Complex sentence: Often they are spiritually-minded but rather pompous creatures, but at other times they are more sinister and alien, at still other times they are "average joes" struggling to protect their homes or their families from predators.
Split into simpler sentences: Often they are spiritually-minded but rather pompous creatures, but they can sometimes be sinister and alien. At other times, they are "average joes", struggling to protect their homes or their families from predators.