Thanks for feedback!
I need to work out the controls more for sure and play with some options. The skeleton I modified by taking a higher res scan and built a low poly version over it (while connecting all the bones so that the whole thing is a single unified mesh). I painted the textures using substance painter and then did the armature rig in blender. Then I used some stock skeletal animations retargeted to my mesh/armature. (sorry long answer!)